Ex-McHenry Co. guard gets jail time

A former McHenry County jail guard pleaded guilty this week to two felony misconduct charges involving female inmates while he worked at the jail, and was sentenced to 30 months probation and 40 days of periodic imprisonment.

Elias D. Fortoso, 31, of South Elgin also was fined $1,806 and must complete sex offender treatment and counseling as part of the plea agreement accepted by McHenry County Judge Sharon L. Prather.

Fortoso will serve his sentence at the Kane County jail beginning at 7 p.m. Fridays and ending at 4 p.m. Sundays for 20 weekends.

“We felt it was probably in everybody’s best interest not to have him serve it in McHenry,” said Lorinda Lamken, a special prosecutor from the State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s Office who was brought in to handle the case.

If Fortoso fails to report during his probation, prosecutors can bring him back to court and push for a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Lamken said Fortoso pleaded guilty to instances on Feb. 1, 2008 and July 23, 2009, in which he asked two female inmates to show him their breasts — which they did.

Three other custodial misconduct charges against Fortoso were dropped as part of the agreement.