Three of four men accused of robbing a Highwood currency exchange last month, prompting police to lock down four nearby schools, pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
Sidney Upchurch, 38, of the 1400 block of Pinewood Court, University Park; Travis Hoffman, 20, of the 8100 block of South Perry Street, Chicago; and Brandon Gray, 20, of the 16600 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, pleaded not guilty to armed robbery and aggravated unlawful restraint in Lake County Circuit Court.
They are alleged to have stolen $40,000 Nov. 21 from the Highwood Currency Exchange, 812 Sheridan Rd.
Michael Mermel, chief of the felony trial division for the Lake County state’s attorney’s office, said the men allegedly held a gun to a cashier’s back and covered her mouth with duct tape before escaping.
The robbery forced a lockdown for a day of four North Shore schools.
