Bloomingdale teen gets probation for robbery spree

Frankie Panoski, 18, of the 200 block of Oakwood Lane in Bloomingdale, was sentenced Friday to 180 days in DuPage County Jail and 30 months of probation. He pleaded guilty in September to two counts of burglary.

Prosecutors said Panoski and his older brother Nicholas Panoski, 19, threw rocks through windows and doors of businesses in Bloomingdale, Glendale Heights, West Chicago and Wood Dale making off with cash or other valuables between June 4 and July 19, 2013.

In all, prosecutors and police officers said Friday that the brothers confessed to 15 such robberies, in which they received more than $3,000 which they spent on 400 bottles of sports drinks.

Though diagnosed with autism and attention deficit disorder, prosecutors said Frankie Panoski's actions cannot be blamed on mental disorders.

"There are plenty of lower-functioning adults who do not commit crimes," Assistant State's Attorney Nicole Wilkes-English said, arguing for a six year prison sentence for the younger Panoski. "He is not a puppet for his big brother."

Prosecutors said the teens were identified through a tip from Downers Grove officers based on an alert put out by Bloomingdale police to nearby law enforcement agencies. Bloomingdale officers met with the teens in late July and then forwarded information to Schaumburg police, who arrested the brothers on commercial burglary charges stemming from several cases in the village's jurisdiction.

In Bloomingdale, the brothers targeted hair salons and restaurants, as well as a building at the Bloomingdale Golf Course on Glen Ellyn Road, Wilkes-English said.

Bloomingdale Police Det. Thomas Burns testified Friday that the younger Panoski told him he committed the crimes "because he was bored."

Assistant Public Defender Kristen Nevdal argued Panoski is not likely to commit more crimes after spending the past year in jail.

"Though it was a long crime spree, that's all it was," Nevdal said, arguing for probation for the younger Panoski, who is believed to have acted as the driver for several of the crimes. "He is not someone who is likely to commit more crimes."

Panoski said he is sorry for the choices her made and vowed to get his diploma and stay out of trouble.

"I'm going to prove to you that I'm not the type of person who belongs in prison," he told Judge Robert Kleeman.

Panoski now will be sent to Cook County to face 12 similar counts. Nicholas Panoski was sentenced last month to four years in prison, followed by four years of probation.