Lake Villa Township man sentenced to probation, periodic imprisonment for shooting neighbor
A Lake County judge sentenced a former Lake Villa Township man to 24 months of probation and six months of periodic imprisonment for shooting his neighbor during a night of drinking, calling it an “obviously reckless act.”
Frank Geu, 45, was also sentenced Friday to serve an additional six months of periodic imprisonment by Judge George Strickland. Strickland delayed that sentence until the end of Geu's probation, saying the additional jail time will be dropped if Geu successfully completes probation.
Geu was also sentenced to complete 150 hours of community service and ordered to not consume drugs or alcohol while on probation.
“There is no question this was a dramatically reckless incident,” Strickland said. “There is no excuse for the complete lack of safety considerations in this case.”
Periodic imprisonment means Geu will be allowed to leave the jail only for work, court, public service or treatment. He was granted six days of credit for time already served after his arrest Sept. 13, 2013, the night of the shooting.
Geu was convicted on one count of reckless discharge of a firearm for shooting former neighbor, Jeff Johnson, in the ribs while showing off his guns. He could have been sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison.
Geu was drinking rum and cokes inside the victim's garage in the 36000 block of Alice Drive when the two began talking about guns, authorities said. Geu walked to his house during a lull in the conversation and returned minutes later to show Johnson two semiautomatic handguns, authorities said.
Geu handed the guns to Johnson, who unloaded the weapons for inspection, authorities said. After Johnson returned the unloaded guns and ammunition clip to Geu, authorities said, Geu reloaded one weapon, pointed it at the victim and pulled the trigger.
Johnson was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he had surgery. Authorities said the bullet damaged his ribs, lung and spleen.
Geu testified at trial that he reloaded the weapon because he always left the clip of ammunition inside the gun. He said a bullet accidentally chambered in the weapon when he reinserted the clip. Geu said he fumbled to dislodge the chambered ammunition, and pressed the trigger rather than the trigger guard.
Geu was found not guilty at trial in September of aggravated battery with a firearm. If he had been found guilty, he could have received a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
Assistant State's Attorney Scott Hoffert read a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing from Johnson. In it, Johnson said his spleen was surgically removed because of the shooting, and his ribs still have not completely healed.
“This man was within one inch of taking my life away,” Johnson's statement read. “Now I pray the court will hold him accountable for it.”
Hoffert asked that Geu be sentenced to time at the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Geu said at the hearing that he quit drinking after the shooting, lost his job as a printer, and eventually lost his house to foreclosure.
“I'd like to sincerely apologize to Jeff and his family,” Geu said. “I'm really sorry for your pain and for putting your family through all these problems.”