Indiana Man Charged with Robbery and Murder of Illinois Bar Owner

URBANA, Ill. - A grand jury in the Central District of Illinois returned an indictment on April 8, 2026, charging Julius Burkes, 47, of Indiana, with obstruction of commerce by robbery, murder, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Burkes is alleged to have robbed and murdered the owner of The Line, a bar in Momence, Illinois, using a firearm, on February 2, 2026. The indictment was unsealed on April 13, 2026.

Burkes was arrested in Hammond, Indiana, on February 3, 2026, by officers of the Hammond Police Department, who were working in coordination with the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office. Burkes has remained in law enforcement custody since that date. He was initially charged by the Kankakee County State's Attorney's Office, which has been working in coordination with federal authorities and the U.S. Attorney's Office throughout the investigation and after Burkes' arrest.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for obstruction of commerce by robbery are up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalties for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon are up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The maximum penalty for murder is up to life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.

Agencies participating in the investigation include the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force ("TCAT"); the Illinois State Police; the Momence Police Department; the Bradley Police Department; the Grant Park Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force; and the Kankakee County State's Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan D. Freres is representing the United States in the prosecution.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.