One of two gunmen was sentenced to 80 years in prison on Monday for shooting a gas station clerk during a robbery in Marengo despite the victim complying with the gunmen, showing “no regard for human life.”
Walter R. Moran, 32, of Cicero, was convicted of armed robbery, armed violence and aggravated battery following a week-long jury trial.
Prosecutors presented witnesses and introduced hundreds of exhibits during the trial to establish a timeline showing that Moran and Antonio Pedrote, 30, of Chicago, carried out a violent armed robbery at a Circle K, 600 North State Street in Marengo, in the early morning hours of February 24, 2021.
Surveillance footage showed the gunmen confronting the store’s lone employee around 3:37 a.m., stealing money from the cash register and demanding access to the store’s safe, prosecutors said.
The clerk was unable to open it and Moran and Pedrote “escalated their violence.”
Pedrote pistol-whipped the victim, forced him to the ground and held him at gunpoint, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Moran counted to three before shooting the clerk in the thigh.
The offenders fled the scene after realizing the victim could not comply with their demand and entered a waiting getaway vehicle driven by Gregory Garner Jr., 32, of Chicago.
Marengo Police Department Sgt. Andrew Kjellgren said at the time that officers found an adult victim, identified as Brian Pemble, suffering from a gunshot wound.
The 35-year-old victim, an on-duty gas station clerk, was shot once in the leg during the robbery.
Additional threats were made to the clerk and one of the suspects yelled “King, King,” referring to the Latin Kings gang, prosecutors said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Apprehension Unit and U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Task Force arrested Pedrote. Moran and Gregory were also later taken into custody.
Police said at the time that the suspects were linked to numerous other armed robberies throughout the Chicago area.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis sentenced Moran to 80 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on Monday. His sentence will be served at a minimum of 85%.
Garner pleaded guilty on October 30, 2023, and was sentenced to 13 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Pedrote pleaded guilty on July 11, 2025, and was sentenced to 25 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said that the shooting was a “deliberate, cold-blooded decision to shoot a compliant, defenseless victim who posed no threat whatsoever.”
Prosecutors presented extensive evidence detailing Moran’s lengthy and violent criminal history during his sentencing hearing on July 23, calling witnesses from multiple law enforcement agencies and a former Cook County prosecutor to demonstrate the ongoing danger Moran has posed to the public.
Former Cook County Deputy Supervisor Assistant State’s Attorney Eugene Wood testified regarding a separate violent crime committed by Moran in 2021.
Moran later pleaded guilty in federal court to aggravated kidnapping and aggravated vehicular hijacking after he and an accomplice robbed a 46-year-old woman on her way to work, taking her phone, purse and car keys before forcing her into the front seat of her own vehicle.
As Moran sat in the back seat armed with a firearm, his accomplice drove the victim into rival gang territory where the vehicle came under gunfire. Moran responded by firing multiple shots from inside the vehicle, prosecutors said.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Quick testified regarding a gang-motivated attack Moran committed while awaiting trial in the McHenry County Jail.
A fellow Latin King gang member initiated an assault on a rival gang member and Moran joined in the attack to support his fellow Latin King, Quick said.
Chicago Police Officer Somang Yi testified regarding a 2021 incident where Moran fled from police while possessing a semi-automatic handgun, discarding the firearm during the pursuit before being taken into custody.
Chicago Police Department Detective Eric Jehl testified regarding a 2012 aggravated battery to a peace officer committed by Moran after he threatened officers with a knife and repeatedly kicked Jehl during the encounter. Moran later spat in the detective’s face.
“Walter Moran has shown, time and again, that he has absolutely no regard for human life or the rule of law. He didn’t hesitate to shoot an innocent store clerk who was doing exactly what he was told, and his violent conduct continued even after his arrest,” Freese said.
“Today’s sentence ensures that a dangerous, repeat violent offender will no longer be able to terrorize our communities. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who choose violence and do everything possible to ensure they spend years behind bars,” she said.