Below is a press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:
JOHN MALASZENKO SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON
FOR ARMED ROBBERY
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that John Malaszenko, a fifty-seven year old Chicago resident, was sentenced by Judge Prather on Thursday, July 29, 2010 to twenty-one years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for two armed robberies committed last year at Walgreens stores in Crystal Lake and Fox River Grove.
A third charge of Armed Robbery involving a Cary Walgreens was dismissed in consideration of the defendant’s guilty plea to the other robberies.
Witnesses to the January 28, 2009 Crystal Lake robbery described a middle-aged white offender who was armed with a unique looking handgun.
The description of Malaszenko was later distributed to employees of local Walgreens stores.
On February 10, 2009, Malaszenko was identified as he walked into a Fox River Grove Walgreens.
The police were summoned and apprehended Malaszenko as he fled the Fox River Grove Walgreens with a bag of cash and the same gun used in the earlier robberies.
When asked why he targeted Walgreens stores the defendant said he
“thought it would be easy.”
Malaszenko’s assessment was proven wrong by the quick thinking of Walgreens’ staff and the outstanding police work of the Crystal Lake, Cary and Fox River Grove Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney David Johnston.