November 1

Adrian Blalock, 39.

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that a Lockport man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a starting a fire in his girlfriend’s Joliet apartment unit in 2011.

Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak on Thursday handed down the maximum sentence for residential arson to Adrian Blalock, 39, of 413 E. 9th Street, Lockport. A jury deliberated for 28 minutes before finding Blalock guilty at the conclusion of a trial in June.

After arguing with his girlfriend, Blalock returned to her apartment in the 1100 block of North Broadway in Joliet on May 12, 2011. He entered the unit while no one was home and lit her young daughter’s bedroom on fire.

No one was injured, but the subsequent blaze caused in excess of $100,000 in damage to the four-unit apartment building.

Blalock had been driving with his own young daughter before setting the fire. He left his daughter sitting alone in the car, which he parked near the apartment building before he set the blaze, according to trial testimony.

Blalock has a long criminal record that includes convictions for two prior arsons.

“It is truly fortunate that no one was injured or killed when Adrian Blalock acted with callous disregard for the safety and well-being of the residents of that building,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This arsonist will now spend many years contemplating the recklessness of his crime in a cold prison cell.”

The State’s Attorney credited Prosecutors Adam Capelli and Anna Rossi with securing this conviction and lengthy prison sentence.

October 13

Mark R. Barreto, 34.

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that child pornography and indecent solicitation charges have been filed against a Chicago man following a six-month investigation conducted by his High Technology Crimes Unit.

Mark R. Barreto, 34, of 300 N. Canal Street, Chicago, was charged Wednesday with aggravated child pornography (Class X), child pornography (Class 1), indecent solication of a child (Class 3), grooming (Class 4) and indecent solicitation of a child (Class A Misdemeanor). The Class X Felony carrries a penalty of between 6-30 years in prison with no option for probation upon conviction.

The child pornography charges allege the defendant transferred pornographic digital images of children between the ages of 5-years-old and 15-years-old over the Internet. The indecent solicitation and grooming charges allege the defendant discussed acts of sexual conduct over the Internet with someone he believed to be a child and that he exposed himself to that individual.

The individual he believed to be a child was actually the persona of a 14-year-old Naperville girl that was created by High Technology Crimes Unit investigators. The defendant also discussed meeting with a Bolingbrook man and the 14-year-old girl for sex in a Bolingbrook hotel. Information provided by the Bolingbrook man launched the investigation that led to charges against Barreto.

A Will County judge set bond at $250,000 for Barreto on Wednesday afternoon. He is scheduled to appear in court for preliminary hearing or arraignment on Nov. 21. As a condition of his bond, he can only use a computer for work purposes and cannot have contact with children under the age of 18. The investigation into Barreto continues.

“Over the past eight months, the High Technology Crimes Unit has launched investigations that have resulted in criminal charges against nearly 20 individuals,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “Our goal is to expand this unit so that we can stop the production and dissemination of child pornography and halt the vile exploitation of our children.”

The Bolingbrook Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI were instrumental in conducting the investigation and securing the arrest. 
   
The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office reminds the public that charges are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

October 24

JOLIET – The public is invited to attend an open house for the Julie Ann House, a new recovery home for people who are nearing completion of the Will County Drug Court Program.

The open house will be held on Friday, October 26th from 10:30 a.m. until noon at the new residence, 311 Lime Street in Joliet. 

The Julie Ann House is named in honor of Ann Dralle, Will County Board Member, and Julie McCabe-Sterr, Will County Drug Court Coordinator. State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced the opening at this month’s Will County Board meeting. 

This is the second recovery home for the Will County Drug Court. In 2010, a recovery home for men was established and named in honor of one of the program’s first graduates, Miller Taylor. The Miller Taylor House was the first recovery home in the United States operated by a drug court program.

In Drug Court, prosecutors and defense attorneys work with the judge and treatment providers to help abusers who have committed non-violent offenses beat their addictions. Those allowed into the program are carefully screened and must remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find employment, follow through with treatment and attend weekly Drug Court sessions. Circuit Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes presides over Drug Court.

With two recovery homes open, one will house women and the other will house men.  “Our first recovery home enabled men from the Drug Court program to take control of their lives and reintegrate themselves back into their communities,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow, who spearheaded the creation of the drug court in the 1990s. “The opening of a second home will give the women in our Drug Court a place to complete their journeys toward leading healthy and productive lives.”

House managers will live on site. Those who live in the recovery homes have completed counseling and treatment programs and have been clean for a minimum of six months. Their stay is the final step before they graduate and rejoin the community. Residents are closely monitored and subject to random drug tests multiple times each week. Those who test positive for drug use are removed from the homes immediately.

A plaque to include McCabe-Sterr and Dralle’s names and likenesses will be placed at the entrance to the house. Naming the recovery home after both McCabe-Sterr and Dralle is a way to honor their dedication and tireless work in support of the mission of the Will County Drug Court, said State’s Attorney Glasgow.

McCabe-Sterr has been the Will County Drug Court coordinator since 2004. She has been working to establish recovery homes for Drug Court participants since she took the position.

Dralle was first elected to the Will County Board in 1998 and currently chairs the Judicial Committee, and she vice chairs the Capital Improvements Committee. She also sits on a number of other committees in addition to her extensive work outside of the County Board. Dralle’s support on the County Board was instrumental in the establishment of the recovery homes.No taxpayer funding was used to purchase the homes. The costs, including renovation work, were covered through fees paid to the court by those who were convicted of crimes in Will County.

October 18

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that a Joliet man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery of a senior citizen for gouging the eyes of his elderly uncle. The 14 year prison term was the maximum sentence.

Exulam Holman, 33, of 1130 McKay, Joliet was found guilty in August after a jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes. He was sentenced today by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak.

On this past New Year’s Eve, Holman and his elderly uncle, Melvin Clifford, fought over a missing remote television control at their residence. An argument ensued after Clifford asked Holman about the missing remote, according to testimony. Holman initially pushed his uncle down some stairs. When Clifford came back up the stairs, Holman pushed him down, pinned him to the ground by placing his knees on his uncle’s shoulders and gouged his eyes by pushing his thumbs into the sockets.

As a result of this brutal attack, Clifford lost one eye and has limited vision in the other. Despite the injuries he sustained, Clifford was able to call 911 on the night of the attack.

The victim is a veteran who served in Vietnam. On the night of the attack, there were numerous people in the house. None of them cooperated with police during the investigation.

“Exulam Holman is a volatile criminal who brutally attacked his elderly uncle for no apparent reason,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “The maximum prison sentence was critical to punish this act of extraordinary savagery and wanton cruelty against a defenseless senior citizen and a veteran.” 

Glasgow credited Assistant State’s Attorneys Daniel Walsh and Heather Meyers for securing this important conviction and sentence.

October 15

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow is pleased to announce that the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center has been chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the 3rd Annual Witches Night Out fundraiser to be held Oct. 25 at the Joliet Renaissance Center, 214 North Ottawa Street in Joliet.

Witches Night Out is a unique event during which women dress as witches for a fun night out on the town. The event’s proceeds fund United Way agencies that serve women and children in need. This year’s committee selected the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center for its dedication to helping children and families hurt by child abuse. Lamb’s Fold Women’s Center and Stepping Stones Treatment and Recovery Center also were selected as beneficiaries of this year’s event.

Witches Night Out activities will include a Witches Bazaar starting at 4:30 p.m., a buffet dinner, tours of the Joliet Area Historical Museum, ghost stories told by a Joliet Drama Guild member, fortune tellers, door prizes and a costume contest.

“I want to thank the Witches Night Out committee for selecting the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center as one of the beneficiaries of this year’s fundraiser,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow, who founded the Children’s Advocacy Center in 1995 and chairs its Board of Directors. “Participants are certain to have a lot of fun and the proceeds will enable the CAC to continue its crucial mission of protecting vulnerable children.”

The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is a 501-c-3 not-for-profit organization. Its professionally trained staff interviews children who are the victims of sexual or severe physical abuse in a non-threatening, non-suggestive environment. The children’s recorded statements have been used in the successful prosecution of literally hundreds of child predators over the past 17 years. Last year, the center interviewed 321 children.

Tickets for Witches Night Out cost $15. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit www.witchesnightout.com.  Tickets are also available by contacting the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center at (815) 774-4562.