Chicago man pleads guilty to cheating Barrington business employees

On the day Vincentio Provenzano was arraigned on allegations that he conned employees from two Barrington businesses out of several hundred dollars, the 69-year-old Chicago man pleaded guilty to the charges.

In exchange for pleading guilty to theft, a class four felony punishable by one to three years in prison, Provenzano was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $650 in fines.

Victims from a Barrington car dealership and a Barrington jewelry store described Provenzano, of the 1200 block of S. Fairfield Ave., as a con man. Police officers described him as a “menace” who has a criminal history dating back 49 years. That history is marked by 17 convictions in Illinois and other states for theft, deceptive practices and forgery, Cook County prosecutors said at Provenzano’s bond hearing last month in Rolling Meadows. At that hearing, prosecutors indicated that Provenzano had outstanding warrants from DuPage and Lake counties and that he has previously escaped from custody in Illinois, failed to appear to face charges in Texas, violated his probation in Wisconsin and violated his parole in Arizona.

Dan Marquardt, co-owner of Marquardt of Barrington, said earlier that Provenzano portrayed himself as a “high-roller” who had recently received a sizable legal settlement when he entered the Buick dealership earlier this year on the pretense of purchasing a vehicle. Provenzano mentioned the names of Marquardt’s late father and another employee, which led employees to believe he had done business with the dealership in the past, Marquardt said.

Provenzano claimed that he had a relative working for the Cubs and offered to get special VIP passes to last summer’s crosstown series between the Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. The salesman, who had sold cars to legitimate Cubs employees in the past, believed Provenzano, who took the money but never delivered the tickets, Marquardt said.

Provenzano used the same scam on the jewelry store employees, officers said, adding that Provenzano targeted other wealthy communities including Libertyville, Highland Park and Homewood.

Provenzano received credit for the 42 days he has spent in custody since his arrest.