A man was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for punching a Metra conductor in the face last September after refusing to pay his fare when he boarded a train in northwest suburban Wood Dale.
Keimon Snow, 24, a self-avowed gang member from Dolton, pleaded guilty to a felony count of aggravated battery causing bodily harm on Nov. 14, 2018, prosecutors said. On Monday, he was sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
About 9 a.m. Sept. 14, 2018, Snow boarded the Chicago-bound train in Itasca and refused to pay the $8 fare when he was prompted by the conductor, prosecutors said.
When they arrived at the Wood Dale station, the conductor asked Snow to get off the train, prosecutors said. While they were both on the station’s platform, Snow punched the conductor in the side of his face after he called Metra police.
Snow then took off, but was arrested a short time later, prosecutors said.
“Conductors have a difficult enough job to do without having to worry about being violently attacked while on the job,” according to a statement from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. “Thankfully, the conductor, who was just trying to make an honest living was not seriously hurt.”
Snow will need to serve half of his sentence before being eligible for parole, prosecutors said.
