Harrah's Parking Deck Mugger Sentenced To Prison

JOLIET, IL — A 65-year-old Romeoville man, Benny Moy, was sentenced Thursday to six years in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections for attacking an elderly Joliet woman who was a customer at the Harrah's Casino. As the 74-year-old woman was returning to her car inside the Harrah's parking garage, Moy jumped out of the shadows. He beat the woman during a purse-snatching.

The violent crime happened around 11 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2017 in downtown Joliet. Authorities have said that Moy did not know the woman he targeted. She was roughed up and hospitalized, but her injuries were not life-threatening.

At Thursday's sentencing in front of Will County Judge Carmen Goodman, Moy received a six-year prison term for robbery and six years for aggravated battery. However, Moy will be allowed to serve both sentences at the same time, rather than one after the other. A third charge was dropped back in May during a plea agreement with Moy and his criminal defense lawyers from St. Charles.

Will County prosecutors have said that Moy did not have any substantial criminal history prior to his crime of violence at age 64.

At the time of Benny Moy's arrest, current Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner told Patch, "We are glad we were able to get this guy. He was just looking for an easy victim ... There was no relation at all. Who knows what's in his mind?"

Until Thursday, Moy had remained free for the past 20 months. He had spent three days in the Will County Jail after his arrest in November 2017 but managed to post 10 percent of his $125,000 bail.