Bolingbrook man guilty of striking officer with pipe

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March 27
JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow announces the conviction of a man who attempted to kill a Bolingbrook police officer by striking him in the head with a metal pipe during a domestic disturbance in August 2013.

Levan C. Davis, 22, of 364 Walnut Circle, Bolingbrook, was convicted of Attempted First Degree Murder and two counts of Aggravated Battery at the conclusion of a bench trial on Thursday. He faces between six and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 28.

The judge found Davis guilty but mentally ill, which means he is eligible to receive mental health treatment while he serves his time in a state prison. 

Bolingbrook Officers Eli Limacher and Jason Mitchem responded to a report of alleged domestic violence at Davis’ Bolingbrook residence on Aug. 7, 2013. The defendant, who had a history of mental illness and contacts with police, had threatened to kill his father during an argument over the television remote control.

The officers found Davis in the garage. The defendant, who was shouting obscenities, picked up a four-foot long metal pipe and struck Officer Limacher in the head after ignoring orders to place his hands on a vehicle in the garage. Officer Mitchem shot Davis twice, once in the arm and once in the back, to protect his fellow officer from further injury. Officer Limacher suffered a serious head injury during the attack.

“These officers demonstrated tremendous courage as well as restraint during a volatile situation that could have turned deadly in an instant,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “I personally reviewed this case and determined that Officer Mitchem had used appropriate force to subdue the assailant and save Officer Limacher’s life. The guilty verdict handed down today in the criminal case assures a prison sentence for Levan Davis.”

Glasgow credited Assistant State’s Attorneys Elizabeth Domagalla and Maggie Griffin with securing a conviction that takes a dangerous individual off the streets

HERO/HELPS summit to feature exhibit preview by photographer who spent years documenting heroin epidemic and its human toll

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March 24

ROMEOVILLE – The 2015 HERO/HELPS Community Forum, titled, “A Public Health Response to the Heroin Epidemic: Action Strategies,” will include a preview of an exhibit by a local photographer who has spent years on the streets documenting the heroin epidemic that plagues Chicago and its suburbs.

Freelance documentary street photographer Chuck Jines will offer an exclusive preview of his photographs during the HERO/HELPS forum from 8 a.m. until noon on Friday, April 10 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Events Center, 55 Phelps Ave., in Romeoville.

The photographer’s complete exhibit, titled “Heroin: A Love/Hate Relationship,” will open at Gallery Seven, 116 N. Chicago St., Suite 102, in downtown Joliet, beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. also on Friday, April 10. The exhibit will run through April 22.

Jines worked for two years on Chicago’s streets, photographing people who are addicted to heroin and documenting their daily lives. His photographs capture the gritty and often deadly reality of the heroin crisis, which has overflowed from the stereotypical back alleys of the inner city and into the surrounding suburbs.

The photographer gained rare access into what he describes as the heroin community, and he was allowed to chronicle the dangerous and desperate lives of several people struggling with their heroin addictions. Jines came to know several of his subjects on a deep and personal level, and he is working to tell their stories through his photographs and in a forthcoming book.

The HERO/HELPS preview will bring a new dimension to the forum, said Paul Lauridsen, clinical director at Stepping Stones Treatment and Recovery Center and a member of the summit steering and planning committee.

“For the past several years at our summit we have focused on strategies to resolve a public health crisis that has claimed the lives of far too many people,” Lauridsen said. “Chuck’s unflinching photographs illustrate this epidemic and its devastating human toll.”

Jines described his work as “Grit Street Photography,” a high-contrast, high-grain, black-and-white style of street photography that invokes an emotional, intellectual, social or political response from viewers.

“To me, street photography is more than just taking pretty pictures. At its highest level, street photography is about provoking intellectual and social action. I try to weave art, politics, philosophy and social action into my work,” he said.

The 2015 HERO/HELPS Community Forum also will feature presentations by Dr. Jeff Coady, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) Regional Administrator for Illinois,  Reps. Lou Lang and Sam Yingling, Will County Executive Larry Walsh and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow.

This important community forum will provide information to anyone whose life has been affected by heroin or other drug addictions, or those who work with individuals impacted by this crisis, including: parents, siblings, friends, doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists, teachers, school administrators, prevention/treatment/recovery professionals, law enforcement professionals, lawyers, judges, clergy and other community leaders.

For more information about Chuck Jines, his photography and his exhibit, visit his Web site at www.chuckjines.com.

For more information about the HERO/HELPS Community Forum, visit on the Web atwww.herohelpsevent.com.


Bring Your Appetites, Loosen Your Belts For ‘Men Who Cook’ Competition To Benefit The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center

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February 25

JOLIET – If you have a healthy appetite and you enjoy fine cuisine, you won’t want to miss the biggest and the best “Men Who Cook” culinary completion to benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow invites everyone to savor the home cooking to be offered by our amateur chefs at the Seventh Annual “Men Who Cook” from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the Pipefitters Training Center Local 597 at 10850 187th Street in Mokena. 

Roughly 50 local guys from right here in Will County will dish up spoonfuls of their favorite home recipes for hundreds of guests at the annual competition and fundraiser for the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, a not-for-profit agency that helps children who are the victims of sexual and physical abuse. 

Save the date and come hungry. Participating cooks will offer bite-size samples of their best home-cooked meals – the dishes they serve their own families. Guests can vote for their favorite dish in each of four categories: appetizers; side dishes; entrées; and desserts. 

The cost is $40 per person; $75 per couple. The price is $10 for children between 6 and 12; kids 5 and under can attend for free. No need to dress up; it’s a casual event. 

“‘Men Who Cook’ gets bigger and better and more popular each year,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow, who founded the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center in 1995. “Our talented cooks bring their best to the table, and they really crank up the heat in a fun and friendly competition.

The State’s Attorney added: “The variety of dishes is also amazing. No matter what you crave – from fire-grilled pizzas to cheesy chicken enchiladas; from home-style beef and beans to fancy French fare – we’ve got it all.”

WJOL’s Lynne, Mary and Natalie will return to the “Men Who Cook” Red Carpet to welcome guests. Jackson, the Children’s Advocacy Center’s popular Paws 4 Kids therapy dog, will have his own table. There’s even fun for youngsters at the “Men Who Cook” Kids Corner.

State’s Attorney Glasgow established the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center in 1995 to improve the investigation of child sexual abuse cases. The center’s professionally trained and compassionate staff performs forensic child-sensitive interviews when there are allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse. Children’s recorded statements have been used in the successful prosecution of hundreds of predators.

The State’s Attorney founded the center as a 501-c-3 not-for-profit organization so it will not impact taxpayers. As a result, the center relies on grants, foundations and fundraisers like “Men Who Cook” to fulfill its important mission.

Tickets are available on-line at www.menwhocook.info or they can be purchased at the door.  For additional information, call the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center at (815) 774-4565. Or visit on the Web at www.willcountychildrensadvocacy.org, www.menwhocook.info, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/menwhocook.

There are still spots available for men who might be interested in cooking. For information, call (815) 774-4565.


Crest Hill man arrested on child pornography charges

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February 4

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that a Crest Hill man has been charged with child pornography as part of an ongoing investigation launched by investigators from his office.

Andrew M. Veselsky, 25, of 1326 Cedarwood Drive, was arrested at his home on Tuesday by investigators from the State’s Attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit and officers from the Romeoville Police Department. 

Veselsky was charged with two counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography, a Class X Felony that carries a penalty of six to 30 years in prison upon conviction. Probation is not a sentencing option. He also was charged with two counts of Possession of Child Pornography, a Class 2 Felony that carries a penalty of three to seven years in prison upon conviction. In addition, he was charged with Obstructing Justice. 

Bond for Veselsky was set at $250,000. He must post 10-percent or $25,000 to secure his release while he awaits trial. His next court date is scheduled for 9 a.m., Feb. 25 in Courtroom 405 of the Will County Courthouse, 14 W. Jefferson St., in downtown Joliet. 

The charges stem from an investigation launched by the State’s Attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit.  Glasgow created the specialized unit in 2012 to track to predators who use the Internet to download illegal child pornography.

Investigators from the unit had identified a computer used to download child pornography with an Internet Protocol address that led them to the Romeoville home of Veselsky’s parents. The defendant had been living there until recently. Investigators executed a search warrant at that home and learned that Veselsky had moved to Crest Hill.

Later in the day, investigators executed a search warrant at the Crest Hill address. He was arrested without incident. Computers were seized as part of the investigation.

In the past three years, the High Technology Crimes Unit has arrested and charged 74 individuals following investigations into allegations of child pornography and/or child sexual abuse.

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.


Romeoville man gets 108 years for filming sexual assault of child

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January 28

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow announces that a Romeoville man was sentenced to 108 years in prison Tuesday for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl and filming the abuse.

Timothy Brandt, 38, of 420 Glen, Romeoville, was convicted in October of three counts of Class X Child Pornography alleging he filmed the sexual assault of the child. He was also convicted of two counts of Class X Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and one count of Class 1 Child Pornography Possession.

Circuit Judge David Carlson handed down the sentence late Tuesday afternoon at the conclusion of a sentencing hearing.

The sexual abuse of the child is alleged to have begun when the victim was only 4-years old and continued until Brandt was arrested in 2013.

“Timothy Brandt is a monster who created a real life nightmare for an innocent child,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This was an unspeakably horrific violation of the most basic tenets of human decency. This sentence guarantees that Brandt will never again have an opportunity to abuse a child.”

The case against Brandt was investigated by State’s Attorney Glasgow’s High Technology Crimes Unit, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Romeoville Police Department. The case was prosecuted jointly by the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office and Illinois Attorney General’s Office. 

“This case involved horrific abuse of a child, and this sentence ensures that the defendant will pay for his crimes for the rest of his life,” Attorney General Madigan said. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies around the state to continue arresting and imprisoning offenders who prey on innocent children.”

Glasgow created the High Technology Crimes Unit in 2012 to identify predators that use the Internet to download illegal child pornography. In the past two years, the unit has arrested more than 70 individuals who were in possession of child pornography or who were actually abusing children.

“I established the High Technology Crimes Unit to protect our children by tracking down monsters who trade child pornography online,” Glasgow said. “Sadly, so many of the individuals who view and disseminate these materials turn out to be hands-on child predators.”