[MSN] North Aurora man has pleaded guilty to stealing personal memorabilia that belonged to Chicago Bears great Walter Payton from the Aurora restaurant that bears the legend's name.

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Man pleads guilty in theft of Walter Payton ring

August 2, 2007
BEACON NEWS STAFF

A North Aurora man has pleaded guilty to stealing personal memorabilia that
belonged to Chicago Bears great Walter Payton from the Aurora restaurant
that bears the legend's name.

James A. Graham, 31, last known to be living in the 100 block of Monroe
Street, on Wednesday was sentenced to 30 months of probation. Graham also
pleaded guilty to unrelated charges of unlawful possession of a controlled
substance and to a probation violation for a conviction for aggravated
battery.

> Click to enlarge image Walter Payton's Super Bowl Ring was stolen from a
display case at Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora back in March 2006.

(SUBMITTED PHOTO) 

Prosecutors said that in March 2006, Graham and co-defendant Jeremy J.
Sherman, 19, of the 0-100 block of Oak Street, North Aurora, stole
memorabilia, including Payton's replica Super Bowl XX ring and his original
Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, from Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora.

Aurora police recovered the rings -- which were valued at $4,100 -- from a
Chicago pawnshop three days after they were reported stolen.

Immediately after the thefts, Roundhouse owner Scott Ascher said, the
restaurant installed a new security system, and there have been no problems
since.

"If we do have something, there will be a lot of noise and a lot of pictures
taken," Ascher said. 

"Ever since Walter's been gone, I've gotten a lot of 'Walter Payton Wake-up
Calls' -- things he's somehow conveyed to me that I'm not doing something
right. After the rings were stolen and then recovered, there was a
realization that (the memorabilia museum) was unalarmed, unguarded and
unvideotaped."

Graham also pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing 4.46 grams of heroin on
May 16, 2007. The drug possession offense violated terms of his probation
from a May 11, 2006, conviction for an aggravated battery on April 18, 2006,
in North Aurora.

Graham was sentenced to a special probation program, called Treatment
Alternatives to Street Crime, which examines the likelihood for
rehabilitation through substance-abuse treatment. 

Failure to successfully complete terms of the probation could result in a
prison sentence.

Sherman's case is pending in Kane County Court. His next court appearance is
Sept. 14. 

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/