McHenry County Blog

A press release from McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi:

STANLEY J. HELMER SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN THE PENITENTIARY

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Stanley J. Helmer, 60, of Cary, was sentenced today to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the class 1 felony offenses of

• Attempt Solicitation of Murder for Hire and
• Solicitation of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm

following a guilty plea.

Defendant admitted to attempting to solicit a convicted felon to kill the victim or purchase a gun to shoot the victim in March of 2011.

In sentencing the defendant to the Department of Corrections, the Court found that a sentence of probation would deprecate the serious nature of the offense.

This case was investigated by the Illinois State Police and Oakwood Hills Police Department.

This case was prosecuted for the State by Assistant State’s Attorneys David Johnston and Sharyl Eisenstein.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

CARRIE GIL SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR THE OFFENSES OF ATTEMPT FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND AGGRAVATED ARSON

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Carrie Gil, 46, formerly of Crystal Lake, was sentenced to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of Attempt 1st Degree Murder and 12 years for the offense of Aggravated Arson.

This case was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police and Fire Departments with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Illinois State Police provided experts to explain the use of an accelerant to start the fire and to associate paint from inside the residence to graffiti on the garage and screen doors outside the house.

The investigation also revealed multiple death spells within the defendant’s laptop computer which matched verbatim with handwritten notes linked to the defendant by a forensic document examiner from the Illinois State Police.

The case was prosecuted by David Johnston and Sharyl Eisenstein of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The sentences will run concurrently and the Defendant will be required to serve 85 % of the sentencing term pursuant to truth in sentencing provisions.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

CARRIE GIL CONVICTED OF ATTEMPT FIRST DEGREE MURDER, AGGRAVATED ARSON AND RESIDENTIAL ARSON

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Carrie Gil, 46, formerly of Crystal Lake, was found guilty, after a three hour jury deliberation, of the offenses of Attempt 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Arson and Residential Arson.

This case was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police and Fire Departments with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Illinois State Police provided experts to explain the use of an accelerate to start the fire and to associate paint from inside the residence to graffiti on the garage and screen doors outside the house.

The investigation also revealed multiple death spells within the defendant’s laptop computer which matched verbatim with handwritten notes linked to the defendant by a forensic document examiner from the Illinois State Police.

The case was prosecuted by David Johnston and Sharyl Eisenstein of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

KENNETH SMITH SENTENCED FOR THE THIRD TIME TO 67 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE OFFENSE OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that 35 year old Kenneth Smith was sentenced for the third time to 67 years in prison for the offenses of first degree murder and attempt armed robbery.

Smith has been found guilty three times of the March 6, 2001 murder of Raul Briseno at the Burrito Express Restaurant in the City of McHenry.

In 2003, and again in 2008, a McHenry County jury convicted Smith of shooting Briseno with a .22 caliber pistol in the course of robbing his restaurant.

Both convictions were overturned by an Illinois Appellate Court.

On February 29, 2012 a third jury convicted Smith of the crime bringing the total to 36 people of this community who heard the evidence and were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt of his guilt.

Today, Judge Sharon Prather once again sentenced the defendant to a term of 67 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of first degree murder with a concurrent 7 year sentence for the offense of attempt armed robbery.

Under truth in sentencing guidelines the defendant must serve the entire 67 years before he is eligible for parole.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys

• Michael Combs
• David Johnston and
• David Metnick

and was investigated by the City of McHenry Police Department with the assistance of the McHenry Investigative Assistance Team.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney:

McHENRY RESIDENT SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS TO THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR AGGRAVATED DUI

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney announces that on March 27, 2012, Defendant, Sandra Brazlawski was sentenced to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

The Defendant was arrested by the McHenry Police Department for DUI in July 3, 2011.

Further investigation into her driving history revealed multiple prior convictions for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol under two different names.

The case was investigated by Officer Harris of the McHenry Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney David Johnston.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that 35-year old Kenneth Smith was found guilty of First Degree Murder and Attempt Armed Robbery.

The evidence at trial proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant shot Raul Briseno outside of the Burrito Express Restaurant in McHenry on March 6, 2001.

The jury deliberated approximately 20 hours before rendering the verdict.

A sentencing hearing will be held April 26, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.

“I’m happy about the decision of the jury. It’s a good decision not only for the community, but for the lawyers in our office.

“Thirty-six people have now found Ken Smith guilty of murder. It’s important to our community to know that we have a lot of competent lawyers in our office fighting to keep our community safe and a good place to raise a family.

“Nick Combs is one of the finest attorneys in the State of Illinois and I’m proud to work with him.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Combs, David Johnston and David Metnick and was investigated by the McHenry City Police Department with the assistance of the McHenry Investigative Assistance Team.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

MCHENRY MAN SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS FOR ARMED ROBBERY, HOME INVASION, ARMED VIOLENCE AND AGGRAVATED UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT CHARGES

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that thirty year old Vincent E. Smith, of McHenry, was sentenced today to 22 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offenses of

• Home Invasion
• Armed Robbery
• Armed Violence and
• two counts of Aggravated Unlawful Restraint

The defendant was found guilty on all counts on February 14, 2011 following a four day jury trial.

Evidence at trial revealed that in the early morning hours of October 16, 2010, Vincent Smith and Josh Crandall entered a home in unincorporated McHenry.

Both defendants were masked, and witnesses described both as being armed with knives.

Crandall held up one man at knifepoint and stole $7,000 in one hundred dollar denominations.

Crandall cut the man’s throat and stabbed him in the sternum area.

Another man was stabbed three times outside of the home while the two masked men were exiting the home.

Both victims survived the attack.

At trial, four witnesses in the home were able to point to the defendant as one of the masked offenders.

Members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s deputies were able to determine the identity of the perpetrators and apprehended both Crandall and Smith on the date of the offense.

A search warrant of Smith’s residence yielded forty-two $100 bills found in his closet hidden in a DVD case.

Josh Crandall, following a partially negotiated plea, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 11, 2011.

These cases were investigated by Det. Maldonado of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Ryan Blackney and David Johnston.

A press release from the State’s Attorney’s Office:

McHENRY MAN GUILTY OF ALL COUNTS IN HOME INVASION JURY TRIAL

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that thirty year old Vincent E. Smith, of McHenry, was found guilty today of

• Home Invasion,
• Armed Robbery,
• Armed Violence and
• two counts of Aggravated Unlawful Restraint

after a four day jury trial.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2011 and the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison.

Evidence at trial revealed that in the early morning hours of October 16, 2010, Vincent Smith and Josh Crandall entered a home in unincorporated McHenry.

Both defendants were masked, and witnesses described both as being armed with knives.

Crandall held up one man at knifepoint and stole $7,000 in one hundred dollar denominations.

Crandall superficially cut the man’s throat and stabbed him in the sternum area.

Another man was stabbed three times outside of the home while the two masked men were exiting the home.

Both victims survived the attack.

At trial, four witnesses in the home were able to point to the defendant as one of the masked men.

McHenry County Sheriff’s deputies were able to determine the identity of the perpetrators and apprehended both suspects on the date of the offense.

Search warrants of the defendant’s residence yielded forty-two $100 bills found in the defendant’s closet hidden in a DVD case.

Josh Crandall pled guilty on February 7, 2011 to Armed Robbery and Home Invasion, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2011.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Ryan Blackney and David Johnston.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

AMANDA COOTS SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR
DRUG INDUCED HOMICIDE

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Amanda Coots of Wauconda was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for the offense of Drug Induced Homicide, a Class X Felony.  [Judge Sharon Prather handed down the sentence.]

A McHenry County jury previously found her guilty of the offense on April 14, 2010.

At trial, prosecutors presented a videotaped police interview of the defendant.

In that interview, the defendant admitted to giving heroin to the victim who subsequently lost consciousness.

While the victim was visibly struggling to breathe, the defendant called a taxi cab and left the scene without calling 911.  The victim died later that night.

Coots faced a potential range of 6 to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for this offense.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued for a sentence of 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and noted that the defendant had three prior felony convictions.

Assistant State’s Attorneys Philip Hiscock and David Johnston prosecuted the case on behalf of the State’s Attorney’s Office.

A press release from McHenry County State’s Attorney:

CHICAGO MAN FOUND GUILTY OF THREATENING TO RAPE AND KILL SEVENTEEN YEAR-OLD WOODSTOCK GIRL

McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis A. Bianchi is pleased to announce that Marcus Sessom was found guilty of the offense of Intimidation by the Honorable Judge Sharon Prather after a two day bench trial.

Sessom, a Chicago man, was accused of threatening to rape and kill a 17 year-old girl with special needs if she did not enter into his car.

Sessom approached the girl as she was walking along St. Johns Road in Woodstock after getting off her school bus.

The girl became frightened and ran away unharmed before alerting authorities.

Though denying the offense, Sessom told the Woodstock Police Officers that he talked to the girl because he was

“driving down the street trying to pick up girls, because that is what he does.”

Intimidation is a Class 3 offense for which the defendant could be sentenced to 2 to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Judge Prather will sentence the defendant on November 9, 2009.

The case was prosecuted for the State by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney and David Johnston.