Man pleads guilty to 'irreplaceable' violin robbery on CTA Blue Line, court documents show

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man was sentenced for a robbery on the CTA Blue Line where an expensive violin was taken, according to court documents.

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The man whose valuable violin was stolen on a CTA train in the Loop spoke exclusively with ABC7. He said the violin is worth thousands, but holds far more sentimental value.

Police said the robbery happened on April 11 on a CTA Blue Line train at 117 W. Lake St. around 9 p.m.

Timothy Johnson, 39, of Chicago was charged in connection to the crime, including felony robbery and three misdemeanor counts of resisting/obstructing a peace officer, Chicago police said.

The violin stolen in the robbery, valued at $10,000, was inside a black storage case, and has a distinct wood grain finish on the back, police said. It does not have a serial number, since it was custom-made.

Nearly five months after the robbery, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of robbery.

He was sentenced to six years in at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Cyrus Spurlock said the violin was a handcrafted family heirloom and something he describes as "irreplaceable."

Spurlock, a student at the Art Institute of Chicago, says his violin was handmade by his older brother.

Despite sentencing, it was not known if investigators located the missing violin.

Spurlock said there will be a reward for anyone who can bring information that leads to the violin being returned.

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