McHenry County Blog

When a criminal story from Woodstock makes the Chicago Tribune, I figure readers would be interested.

Below are two press releases on arrests of Charles Oliver, one from late January and the other from

What caught the Tribune’s attention was the connection to Craigslist.

Criminal Sexual Assault / Unlawful Restraint Arrest

On Monday, January 28, 2013, at approximately 9:25 PM, officials from the Woodstock Police Department arrested 44 year old Woodstock resident Charles R. Oliver at his residence, located at 407 W. Greenwood Ave. Woodstock IL.

After an extensive investigation by the Woodstock Police Department, the McHenry County States Attorney’s Office approved criminal charges against Oliver for

• two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault
• two counts of Unlawful Restraint

Arrest warrants were subsequently obtained by Woodstock detectives.

These criminal charges were the direct result of two separate investigations, which Oliver victimized two female subjects after meeting them at two separate prearranged locations.

It is believed that Oliver met these two female victims after initiating contact with them on “Craigslist”.

Oliver was taken into custody at his residence by the Woodstock Police Department with the assistance of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office SWAT, Fugitive Apprehension Unit and Investigations Unit.

It is believed that more unidentified victims may exist.

If anyone has information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to contact the Woodstock Police Department’s Investigation Division at 815-338-2131.

Criminal Sexual Assault / Unlawful Restraint Arrest

On Sunday, February 24, 2013, 44 year old Woodstock resident Charles R. Oliver was located in Chicago and taken into custody by members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshall’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit.

As the result of numerous ongoing investigations, the Woodstock Police Department and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office received approval for criminal charges from the McHenry County States Attorney’s Office for

• three counts of Criminal Sexual Assault
• three counts of Unlawful Restraint
• one count of Harassment of a Witness.

Oliver was transported to a Cook County Jail, where he is currently being held in lieu of a $300,000.00 bond.

Oliver was previously arrested by the Woodstock Police Department on January 28, 2013 for two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault and two counts of Unlawful Restraint. As the result of this initial investigation, three additional victims were identified.

It is believed that more unidentified victims exist. If anyone has information related to these investigations, they are encouraged to contact the Woodstock Police Department’s Investigation Division at 815-338-2131.

Over the last ten years the City of Woodstock’s Police Pension Funding has increased from 61.5% in 2002 to 68.5% in 2011.

$7.2 million will have to come from taxpayers to fulfill the commitment made by recent city councils.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Woodstock North High School teacher James B. Guttridge has been arrested at his home in Rockford for

• one count of Sexual Assault and
• three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse.

The arrest was made by Woodstock Police officers, according to Special Services Coordinator Sergeant Charles “Chip” Amati.

Guttridge teaches physical education at the District 200 school and is a wrestling coach.

The girl was 14 at the time of the relationship, the same age as the girl who had an affair in Crystal Lake with William Saturday.

Unlike Saturday, who met the student while teaching at North Middle School in the mid-1990′s and waiting until she went on to high school to consummate the affair, Guttridge’s student was apparently in the school where he taught.

According to the Feburary 26, 2910, edition of The Catholic Observer, Guttridge joined St. James church in Belvidere.

Got information?

Call the Woodstock Police at 815-338-2131.

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

JURY FINDS CARY MAN GUILTY OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces today that John “Jack” Reed, 35, of Cary, was found guilty Wednesday, November 16, 2011, of multiple counts of Criminal Sexual Assault and Child Pornography.

The defendant was charged with having sexual contact with a female relative over several months.

The victim was a minor at the time of the offenses.

During the trial, the jury was shown four separate videotaped encounters that contained multiple acts of sexual penetration.

Those videotaped images were recovered from the defendant’s laptop computer and were later analyzed by a forensic computer laboratory.

Additionally, the jury heard testimony from two other eye-witnesses to sexual acts between the defendant and the victim.

After approximately three hours of deliberations, the jury found the defendant guilty of ten counts of Criminal Sexual Assault and four counts of Child Pornography.

The Defendant faces a minimum sentence of 44 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

This case was investigated by Sergeant Parsons of the Woodstock Police Department and forensic analysis was conducted by Amy Maskiewicz of the Chicago Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Sharyl Eisenstein and Michael Combs.

Today, we move to the fourth installment on the motion filed by former Deputy Sheriff Zane Seipler’s lawyer Blake Horwitz requesting sanctions against McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren for releasing confidential information.

This is occurring in Seipler’s Federal wrongful termination suit being heard in Rockford.

Paragraphing and formatting has been added in the text to make the text easier to read on a computer screen.

A second alleged violation of the Court’s Protective Order is described next.

“Second Violation of Court Order

“On April 9, 2007, a police report was filed by Rosalinda Saucedo-Seipler with the Woodstock Police Department, Woodstock Police Report #07-4183. The report contains very personal information regarding a domestic incident between Plaintiff Zane Seipler and his wife, Rosalinda Saucedo-Seipler (Exhibit E).

“On or around January 22, 2010, the Woodstock Police report #07-4183 was widely disseminated to the deputy officers at the McHenry County Police Department [Foot Note 2].

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Foot Note 2.  “Deputy Tim Matteson, a deputy of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department personally observed a copy of the report in his mailbox and saw several reports placed in the mailboxes of various deputies and on a table in the Patrol Roll Call room in the McHenry County Sheriff’s made available in roll call two weeks prior to the primary.= = = = =

= = = = =

“The report was unlawfully placed in the mailboxes of several Deputy Officers and put on tables in the Patrol Roll Call room in McHenry County Sheriff’s Department without the permission or knowledge of Rosalinda Saucedo-Seipler or Zane Seipler.

“Mr. Seipler was a Republican candidate for Sheriff. The Woodstock police report was placed in the boxes and
made available in roll call two weeks prior to the primary.”

“Department (Exhibit F). Deputy Matteson spoke to Deputy Milliman regarding the report, who stated that he saw several copies of the report in various areas of the Squad room in the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

“At the time, Zane Seipler was running for the position of Sheriff of McHenry County and the illegal distribution of the report negatively influenced his political campaign.

“Newspaper reporters, Chuck Keashan of the Daily Herald and Jillian Duchowski of Northwest Herald, contacted Zane Seipler to inquire about this personal matter.

“Finally, Seipler’s domestic incident was discussed on online blogs (e.g. http://antiwoodstockadvocate.blogspot.com) and in the comment sections of numerous Northwest Herald articles.

“The release of this report affected both Zane Seipler’s career and reputation in McHenry County.

“On February 23, 2010, Robert W. Lowen, the Chief of Police of the Woodstock Police Department wrote a letter to Rosalinda Saucedo-Seipler regarding the results of the investigation (Exhibit G).

“Chief Lowen wrote that there were two different requests to access the report through the City of Woodstock Freedom of Information Act. Chief Lowen and Officer Cindy Smiley recommended denial of these requests and stated that the report was not disseminated to the two entities that requested the report via FOIA.

“Chief Lowen also stated in this letter that the report was released by subpoena.

“The only firm that subpoenaed the materials was James G. Sotos and Associates. This firm admits having secured the documents via subpoena.

“As illustrated above, the law firm of James G. Sotos and Associates and the Defendant Officers were the only entities who were given access to the report through the use of a subpoena. As a result, they were the only persons who could have unlawfully distributed the report to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.”

Addition detail is included, then…

“Defendant’s distribution of the report was in direct violation of the Confidentiality Order entered by both parties: ‘The Parties will not use or disclose the PHI and/or Confidential Matter released in this proceeding for any other purpose or any other proceeding.’

“The dissemination of the report is a clear violation of Illinois law. 20 ILCS 2630/7 Sec. 7.

“No file or record of the Department hereby created shall be made public, except as provided in the ‘Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act’ or other Illinois law or as may be necessary in the identification of persons suspected or accused of crime and in their trial for offenses committed after having been imprisoned for a prior offense …Violation of this Section shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor.

“In this instance, the distribution of the report by Defendants is a clear abuse of their official position.

“By releasing private information with regards to a candidate and citizen who was running for political office, the public good was harmed and the law was violated.”

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More tomorrow.

A press release from the Woodstock Police Department:

FATAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

Woodstock, IL – On Monday August 22, 2011 at 8:34 AM the Woodstock Police Department and the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded to the area just West of Route 47 on Route 14 in reference to an I.D.O.T. maintenance employee being struck by a vehicle.

Upon arrival officers found that the I.D.O.T. employee, identified as Ryan J. Nichols from Kenosha, WI had been struck by a vehicle in traffic which resulted with fatal injuries.

Preliminary investigation determined that a Mercury Grand Marquis driven by 67 year old James J. Berles of Woodstock had been traveling West bound on Route 14, when in the area just west of Route 47, struck Ryan M. Nichols.

Due to the injuries Mr. Nichols sustained he was transported to the Woodstock Centegra Hospital by the Woodstock Fire Rescue District where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.

The Woodstock Police Department is continuing with the investigation and charges are pending.

An idea I first heard in the fall of 2007 from Democratic Party candidate for County Coroner David Bachmann is taking over big time under the DEA’s leadership. I first noticed the DEA program in New Jersey in September, 2010..

Here is a press release detailing which McHeny County Police Departments will have boxes for pharmaceuticals you no longer need:

Medication Take-Back Event
Saturday, April 30 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) encourages residents to take advantage of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) program “National Take-Back Initiative” on Saturday, April 30. The one-day event is from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, at participating law enforcement sites. A joint collaborative of public health and law enforcement departments, this initiative will provide a safe way for the public to dispose of their expired, unused and unwanted medication at no cost.

Residents can bring prescription and over-the-counter, solid dose (tablets, capsules) medications in clear, sealed plastic bags for disposal. Items not accepted include liquids, intravenous (IV) bags/solutions, injectables, needles, lancets and sharps.

Prescription labels should be removed (or personal information blocked out with a permanent marker) from plastic bottles before tossing into weekly curbside recycling containers. Participating drop-off sites include:

• Algonquin Police Dept., 2200 Harnish Drive-Algonquin
• Crystal Lake Police Department, 100 W Woodstock St-Crystal Lake
• Harvard Police Department, 201 W. Front St.-Harvard
• Huntley Police Department, 10911 Main Street-Huntley
• Johnsburg Police Department, 3611 N. Chapel Hill Road-Johnsburg
• Lakewood Police Department, 2500 Lake Ave.-Lakewood
• Spring Grove Police Department, 7401 Meyer Road-Spring Grove
• Woodstock Police Department, 656 Lake Ave-Woodstock

According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at an alarming rate, as are accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Many Americans toss their unused medicines into the toilet or throw them in the trash – both potential safety and health hazards. U.S. Geological Survey studies have found traces of prescription drugs in water samples from 30 states which have been linked to ecological harm to fish and freshwater supplies.

To find collection sites near you, visit the DEA’s web page. Check often as new sites will be added daily.Additional information is available from your participating local law enforcement agency, on the MCDH webpage www.mcdh.info (Environmental Health) or by calling Kristy Hecke, MCDH’s Solid Waste Manager at 815-334-4585.

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

KIRK LOCHER FOUND GUILTY FOR SHOOTING FAMILY DOG

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Kirk Locher was found guilty yesterday by a jury for the offenses of Aggravated Cruelty and Reckless Discharge
of a Firearm, resulting from the shooting death of his yellow Labrador Retriever, “Breeze”.

The evidence at trial revealed that the defendant had been drinking alcohol throughout the afternoon at his Woodstock home on May 30, 2008.

Later that night, the defendant woke-up his wife complaining that the dog had bit him. His wife got out of bed and sat at the kitchen table with the Labrador Retriever resting approximately four feet away on the kitchen floor.

The defendant brought a revolver out of his bedroom, leaned over the kitchen table, and shot
the retriever in the head.

Two investigating officers testified that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol when they arrived at the scene.

Both offenses are class four felonies and the defendant faces a possible sentence of probation or conditional discharge or between one to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

This case was investigated by Ofc. Harmon, Det. Spitzer and Sgt. Amati of the Woodstock Police Department, and prosecuted for the State by Assistant State’s Attorneys Sharyl Eisenstein and Ryan Blackney.

As I was heading to the McHenry County Courthouse complex for the Republican Party-sponsored Chicago Food Pantry food giveaway, a Woodstock Police car came screaming down Business 14 and turned onto Route 47.

It was easy to tell that this was not a routine call and, given the time of night, something before six P.M., I guessed it was an auto accident.

Stopping for gas at the Citgo to avoid Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% sales tax increase, a Sheriff’s squad car was accelerating down 47.

We got to the light at Judd Street, on which the main Fire Station is located. I noticed the little light next to the traffic light was white.

Sure enough, what has to be one of Woodstock’s biggest engine, number “01,” rolled around the corner onto Route 47 going south.

While at the courthouse parking lot another engine, siren blasting, came down Ware Road, turning south on Route 47.

I decided to take Route 47 home. Before reaching Bypass 14, I noticed a helicopter heading in a northerly direction. I thought it might be a Flight for Life, but I couldn’t figure out what hospital it might be heading for. Rockford is west and the helicopter seemed to be heading more northwest.

Continuing down 47, we reached a roadblock at Lucas Road.

East or west were our choices.  I went west  a bit and parked.

You can see what my long lens caught of this major accident. Two cars seemed to have been involved. There is a red truck with a blue trailer which might have been part of the accident, too. Maybe it is just blocking the road to prevent other cars from hitting the wrecked ones. Another white semi probably stopped to help.

The fire engines had left, but two Sheriff’s Department squad cars were there. The deputies were examining the car on the road, which appeared to have been hit head-on.

Below you can see a close-up of the demolished car in the middle of the road.

The white car which ended up in the western ditch is seen next.

We drove west on Lucas and down Dean Street Road to Route 176. It took a long time to get out onto the main road.

At the intersection of Routes 176 and 47, a Sheriff’s Deputy told northbound cars to head west to Dean Street and it would take them to Woodstock.

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Gus Philpott’s Woodstock Advocate has a story on the crash here. Included is an earlier photo.

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.