Chicago man gets 68 years for 2007 Plainfield murder

July 11

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that a judge sentenced a Chicago man to 68 years in prison for gunning down another man in Plainfield in 2007.

A jury in March found Ricardo Gutierrez, 24, guilty in the shooting death of Javier Barrios on Oct. 28, 2007 near a Plainfield Meijer store. Circuit Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes sentenced Gutierrez Wednesday afternoon. He must serve 100 percent of his sentence.

Gutierrez shot Barrios twice in the back of the head after the victim ran for safety from his vehicle. Barrios fled because he already had been shot once in the right side by an alleged accomplice while he was sitting inside the car, according to trial testimony.

Barrios exited the vehicle and ran through a field near the shopping center with Gutierrez in pursuit. After Barrios collapsed face-forward on the ground, Gutierrez stood over him and shot him twice in the back of the head.  After the shooting, the defendant and co-defendant went to see the horror movie Saw IV.

“This ruthless killer executed a defenseless man in cold blood on a busy thoroughfare in Plainfield,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow.  “The sentence handed down by Judge Policandriotes effectively takes a dangerous murderer off our streets for the rest of his life.”

Assistant State’s Attorneys Frank Byers, Tricia McKenna and Dan Walsh secured the conviction and sentence. The case was investigated by the Plainfield Police Department.

Another defendant, Gabriela Escutia, 24, also faces charges of first-degree murder in connection with this case. 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.


Former Orland Hills police officer sentenced to 6 years for deadly DUI

July 9

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow announced that a former part-time Orland Hills police officer today was sentenced to six years in prison for a drunken driving collision that killed a 20-year-old Homewood man in 2010.

Robert C. Caputo, 62, of 8811 W. 67th St. in Orland Hills, pleaded guilty in May to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 2 felony that carries a penalty of three to 14 years in prison. He was sentenced by Circuit Judge Edward Burmila.

Caputo was driving his pickup truck while intoxicated on eastbound Interstate 80 near New Lenox on Sept. 12, 2010 when he struck a Chevrolet Malibu parked on the left shoulder of the road. The impact forced the car into a ditch where it caught fire.

DaVon Pitts, who owned the Malibu, had parked it on the shoulder because of a flat tire. He was inside the vehicle on his cellular phone when the crash occurred. Pitts was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the collision, Caputo’s truck became airborne and crossed the median into westbound traffic, hitting another vehicle. The 40-year-old driver of that vehicle as well as a 32-year-old female passenger and a 10-year-old boy escaped serious injury.

Caputo’s blood-alcohol level was .11 shortly after the crash. The legal limit is .08.

“Robert Caputo’s callous decision to drink and then drive claimed the life of a young man,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “He can now spend the next six years in state prison contemplating the horrific outcome of his selfish action.”

The State’s Attorney credited Assistant State’s Attorney Fred Harvey for securing an  important conviction and sentence.


Mokena man pleads guilty to 2011 DUI crash that killed mother, grandmother; injuired adult son with special needs

July 8

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Mokena man today pleaded guilty to aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol in connection with a 2011 collision that caused the deaths of two elderly women near Peotone.

Joseph E. Slattery, 27, of 20016 Lakeview Way in Mokena, faces between six and 28 years in prison when he is sentenced by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on July 26.

Slattery was driving in his Chevrolet Cavalier while intoxicated around 8 p.m. on Aug. 28, 2011 on LaGrange Road just north of Wilmington-Peotone Road when he veered over the center line and struck another vehicle with three occupants.

The driver of the other vehicle, Margaret Simons, 72, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, Suzanne Thompson, 92, who was Margaret Simons’ mother, suffered severe bilateral pelvic fractures and was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, where she was pronounced dead three hours after the crash.

The third passenger, Ralph Simons, who was 42 at the time, suffered a fractured left hip and left hand and was hospitalized for 13 days. Ralph Simons is an adult with special needs who lives in a residential care facility.

At the time of the crash, Slattery was driving with his girlfriend and their 18-month-old son. The child was treated at St. Mary’s for a facial abrasion and contusion; the mother appeared unharmed. An empty carton of Bud Light was found in the vehicle, although there were no actual containers in the car.

The defendant’s blood-alcohol level was .092 shortly after the accident and a blood test for opiates was positive. Slattery admitted to taking a friend’s Vicodin two nights before.


Will County State’s Attorney’s Office to host blood drive July 24

July 1

JOLIET – The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office once again will partner with Heartland Blood Centers and local mom Jennifer Babec to host a community blood drive from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24 at the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, 121 N. Chicago St., in Joliet.

During the blood drive, Heartland’s mobile coaches will be parked in the State’s Attorney’s Office lot directly across the street from the historic Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet.

Appointments can be made by calling Jennifer Babec at (815) 325-4282, or by visiting Heartland Blood Centers online at www.heartlandbc.org. Walk-in donors also will be welcomed on the day of the blood drive. Donations take roughly 30 minutes.

Every donor will receive a $7 gift card for Oberweis Dairy Ice Cream. In addition, delicious pulled pork sandwiches, chips and soda will be served during the drive.

“July blood drives are critically important because donations drop significantly due to vacations and school closings,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “The July drive provides an opportunity to boost the local supply so that blood is available to everyone during medical emergencies.”

Twenty-five percent of Heartland’s blood supply comes from school drives. Heartland is the sole provider of blood and blood products for Silver Cross Hospital and Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Jennifer Babec’s daughter, Taylor, was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2007. Taylor required more than 20 transfusions during her successful treatment, and her cancer is now in remission. Jennifer continues to give back to the community by hosting community blood drives in her daughter’s name. She is Heartland’s top volunteer coordinator.


Rockdale women gets eight years for fatal DUI

June 28

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow announced that a Rockdale woman was sentenced to eight years in prison for drunken driving after she struck and killed a bicycle rider last year.

Cara G. Quiett, 32, pleaded guilty in April to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 2 felony that carries a penalty of three to 14 years in prison. Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak sentenced Quiett on Friday.

Quiett was driving on Midland Avenue in Rockdale on June 6, 2012 when she veered into James Farmer who was riding his bicycle home from work. Farmer was taken to the hospital, but he died from his injuries two weeks after the collision.

The defendant refused to perform field sobriety tests, and she initially resisted attempts by police and nurses to draw her blood by curling up into a ball on the floor at the hospital. Joliet Police and the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office secured a search warrant to draw her blood. Five hours after the collision, her blood-alcohol level was recorded at .148.

Quiett, who had a prior DUI conviction in 2006, took a vacation to Key West while Farmer was on life support at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in the last two weeks of his life, according to evidence presented at her sentencing hearing. She posted pictures from her Florida trip on Facebook.

State’s Attorney Glasgow credited Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Regis for securing a conviction and sentence that takes a dangerous drunken driver off our streets.


County Auditor, State’s Attorney present fraud prevention seminar for local government, school district employees

June 20

JOLIET – Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn and Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow hosted a seminar designed to teach government employees to prevent, recognize and report cases of government fraud.

More than 40 employees from Will County government and local school districts attended the presentation by Mary O’Connor from Sikich LLP, one of the nation’s leading CPA firms. O’Connor discussed common fraud schemes that impact local government and taught those in attendance how to identify and report these incidents. She made her presentation June 13 at the Will County Office Building in downtown Joliet.

O’Connor has more than three decades of experience in investigative accounting and forensic technology. She has been called upon for her expertise in large cases related to the 9/11 attack, and she has conducted countless fraud investigations for both publicly traded and privately held companies as well as for municipal units of government and school districts.

To illustrate her points, O’Connor frequently referenced facts from the case of Rita Crundwell, the disgraced former comptroller in Dixon, IL, who was sentenced to 19-1/2 years in prison for stealing more than $54 million from her municipality over the past two decades.

“Newspapers in recent years have been filled with sensational headlines and stories detailing cases of government fraud like the Dixon case,” Auditor Blackburn said. “Mary O’Connor provided important information that will enable our government employees to protect taxpayer funded resources from those who are intent on exploiting the system for personal benefit.”

State’s Attorney Glasgow said: “The majority of government employees work in the best interest of taxpayers, but it is imperative that supervisors in our local schools and municipalities possess the knowledge to identify instances of theft and fraud when they arise. It’s a pleasure to work with Duffy Blackburn and Mary O’Connor to provide government employees with important information that will help them to prevent another case like Dixon.”

Duffy Mary Jim

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, Mary O’Connor and Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn.


High Technology Crimes Unit arrests Chicago man on Indecent Solicitation of a Child, Traveling to Meet a Minor charges

June 11

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a British citizen who is a permanent resident of the United States has been arrested and charged with Indecent Solicitation of a Child.

Charles F. Bocock, 35, who lives in the 4100 block of North Tripp in Chicago, was arrested Monday at the conclusion of a three-week investigation headed by State’s Attorney Glasgow’s High Technology Crimes Unit in conjunction with the Plainfield Police Department, the Naperville Police Department and the Chicago Police Department as well as the Illinois Crimes Against Children Task Forces from both Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s offices.

The investigation was launched after Bocock responded to an advertisement on craiglist.com posted by a Plainfield resident who was seeking monetary help to make his car payment. The Plainfield resident contacted police after receiving Bocock’s response. Investigators from the High Technology Crimes Unit assumed the Plainfield resident’s Internet identity.

Bocock arranged with undercover detectives for a rendezvous with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl. The defendant was arrested at a Plainfield Dunkin’ Donuts in the 13300 block of Illinois 59 on Monday afternoon.

The Indecent Solicitation of a Child charge alleges Bocock, with the intent of committing the offense of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, used a cellular telephone to solicit a child under the age of 17, which was actually the 12-year-old female persona used by investigators from the High Technology Crimes Unit. The charge is a Class 1 felony that carries a penalty of four to 15 years in prison upon conviction.

Bocock also was charged with:

  • Traveling to Meet a Minor, Class 3 Felony. The charge alleges he traveled to Plainfield “for the purpose of engaging in the offense of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child” with the girl he believed to be 12-years-old.
  • Unlawful Grooming, Class 4 Felony. The charge alleges he used a cellular phone to solicit the girl he believed to be 12-years-old to engage in an act of sexual penetration.

Investigators executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Chicago house and seized his computers. The case remains under investigation by the ICAC Task Forces.

Bocock appeared in court Tuesday afternoon where bond as set at $1 million. He must post $100,000 or 10 percent to secure his release while he is awaiting trial. As a condition of his bond, he also must surrender his passport, not have contact with anyone under 18 and not use the Internet. His next court date is July 2 at the Will County Courthouse, 14 W. Jefferson Street in Courtroom 405.

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.


County Auditor Blackburn, State’s Attorney Glasgow present fraud prevention seminar

May 28

JOLIET – Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow invite local government and school district supervisors, department heads and managers to a free seminar that will help them prevent, identify, report and prosecute instances of government fraud.

The seminar will take place at 1:30 p.m. on June 13 in the County Board Room at the Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St. in downtown Joliet.

“We need to take every step possible to protect taxpayer funded resources and to make certain they are managed property and efficiently,” said Auditor Blackburn. “This seminar will teach managers in local municipalities and school districts established best practices for recognizing, reporting and reducing cases of government fraud.”

State’s Attorney Glasgow said: “The overwhelming majority of government employees perform their work in the best interest of our taxpayers, but it is imperative that we remain vigilant so that we can identify instances of government theft and fraud when they arise.  I am pleased to work with County Auditor Duffy Blackburn on a program that will put important information into the hands of government managers in Will County.”

Mary O’Connor from Sikich LLP, one of the nation’s leading CPA firms will make the presentation.  She will discuss common fraud schemes that impact government as well as ways to recognize and report these incidents. Part of her presentation will involve how to establish a fraud prevention system in a municipality or school district.

O’Connor has more than three decades of experience in investigative accounting and forensic technology. She has been called upon for her expertise in large cases related to the 9/11 attack, and she has conducted countless fraud investigations for both publicly traded and privately held companies as well as for municipal units of government and school districts.

There is no cost to attend this seminar. For more information or to reserve your seat, please RSVP by June 7 to Cathy Pleasant in the Will County Auditor’s Office at (815) 740-8358 or at cpleasant@willcountyillinois.com.


State’s Attorney Glasgow’s High Technology Crimes Unit investigation leads to Class X child pornography charges against man

May 24

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Joliet man has been charged with multiple counts of child pornography after a search warrant was executed at his apartment in the 200 block of Madison Street early Thursday morning.

David Vaksdal, 45, was charged formally with eight counts of child pornography on Friday afternoon. The charges are all Class X felonies that carry a penalty of nine to 30 years in prison with no option for probation upon conviction. He faces a minimum of 72 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Bond was set at $5 million during a court hearing on Friday afternoon. Vaksdal must post 10 percent, or $500,000 to secure his release while he is awaiting trial.

The case against Vaksdal was initiated by Will County State’s Attorney Glasgow’s High Technology Crimes Unit and investigated in cooperation with the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Joliet Police Department.

Glasgow established the High Technology Crimes Unit in 2012 to target predators that produce, download and trade illegal child pornography over the Internet as well as those who are actively trying to arrange meetings with children. The unit has launched roughly three dozen investigations that have resulted in felony charges over the past 18 months.

Vaksdal’s computers were seized Thursday during the execution of the search warrant, which was signed by Judge Sarah Jones.

Vaksdal had been convicted by the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office in Will County Circuit Court and by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in U.S. District Court in Kansas of trading child pornography following an investigation and charges into his Internet activities in the late 1990s. He was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison.

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.


Joliet driver gets fiver years for striking pedestrian lying in street in aggravated DUI case

May 15

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Joliet man found guilty of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol has been sentenced to five years in prison for striking and killing a pedestrian who was lying in the street in July 2011.

Vincent E. Borgic, who was 59 at the time of the collision and is now 61, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak. Judge Bertani-Tomczak found him guilty at the conclusion of a bench trial that included testimony from roughly 20 witnesses.

Borgic, of 201 Logan Avenue, ran over Scott Zolecki on July 13, 2011 in the 1100 block of East Washington Street in Joliet. Zolecki was intoxicated and lying in the street when he was struck.

Borgic, who admitted coming from a bar, told police he never saw the victim before running him over with his Dodge Challenger at about 10:30 p.m. that night. He told police he had no idea what happened.

Civilian witnesses, however, testified at trial that other drivers avoided hitting Zolecki while he was in the street. Witnesses also reported that Borgic got out of his car and smoked a cigarette but made no attempt to help Zolecki.

While he showed no concern for the victim, Borgic stated in the presence of police and civilian witnesses that there had better be no damage to his vehicle. The defendant refused field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer, but a blood standard provided later at the hospital revealed a blood-alcohol level of .208.

Zolecki was rushed to Silver Cross Hospital and was later transferred to Loyola Medical Center, where he died on July 14, 2011. His death was determined to be related to head injuries he suffered. Blood from his head was found on the underside of Borgic’s Challenger.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Bertani-Tomczak noted that Borgic already was serving court supervision for a prior DUI when he struck Zolecki. Under Illinois Department of Corrections rules, Borgic must serve 85 percent of his sentence in the latest DUI.

State’s Attorney Glasgow thanked prosecutors Frank Byers and Andrew Kramer for securing a sentence that takes a dangerous drunken driver off our streets. He also credited Joliet Police, particularly Officer Shawn Wascher, for a first-rate investigation.

“One of the critical steps officers took at the scene was to place the defendant in front of a squad car with video recording equipment,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This strengthened the case immensely by giving the judge the opportunity to witness Vincent Borgic’s callous behavior after he ran over Scott Zolecki.”