Man gets 26 years for stealing credit card from parked car at Anytime Fitness in 2011

Ricky Griggs

Online Staff Report

Ricky Griggs, 47, has been sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison — 20 for burglary, a Class 2 felony, and six for unlawful use of a credit card, a Class 4 felony.

Griggs had been found guilty by a jury and sentenced by Judge Rosemary Collins.

Dec. 6, 2011, the victim’s vehicle was burglarized in the parking lot of Anytime Fitness, 6957 Old Creek Road, in Rockford. The victim reported his car window had been broken and several items were missing, including his wallet and a credit card.

The victim called to cancel his credit card and learned it had been used at a local gas station. The victim had not made this purchase.

An officer went to the gas station and spoke with the clerk who handled the transaction. The clerk remembered the transaction and obtained the receipt. A surveillance video showing the defendant making a purchase was collected by a detective. The defendant was subsequently arrested when he returned to make further purchases.

Unlawful use of a credit card, a Class 4 felony, is punishable by one to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. However, because of prior convictions, Griggs was eligible for extended-term sentencing of one to six years. Class X sentencing applied because of prior convictions and was punishable by six to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and three years mandatory supervised release. The sentences will run concurrently.

Posted March 1, 2013