Aurora man sentenced to 5 years for robbery while wearing Santa hat

An Aurora man was sentenced to five years in prison for aggravated robbery, following a December 2022 incident in Montgomery, according to a news release from Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis.

Quintez Smith-Stewart, 26, was charged with a robbing at a Montgomery retail store in which he threatened a cashier and stole $300, according to a news release.

After fleeing in a stolen vehicle, police recovered a Santa hat from the car, which was later linked to Smith-Stewart through DNA analysis. He later was picked up on a warrant, according to the release.

“Smith-Stewart had a different interpretation of the holiday spirit when he used a Santa hat to steal money from a local business owner,” Weis said in the release. “It is fitting that he will spend several Christmas holidays in prison as a result of his criminal actions.”

The case was decided by Judge Jody Gleason, and Smith-Stewart will serve one year of mandatory supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Frank S. Gorup, and Smith-Stewart was represented by the Kendall County Public Defender’s Office.