Suburban Chicago man sentenced to 26 years in home invasion

ST. CHARLES, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago man received a 26-year prison term for breaking into a home in the early morning as its residents slept.

A Friday prosecutors' statement says a jury convicted 40-year-old Earnest T. Jeffries of Aurora earlier this year, including for home invasion and armed robbery. A judge sentenced him Thursday.

Prosecutors say he and an accomplice kicked in a back door wearing masks around 3:30 a.m. They began beating the male victim before holding him at gunpoint. They ransacked the apartment and found $2,800 in cash.

Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon called the 2014 break-in "a brazen attempt to terrify people in a place where they expect to feel safe and secure."

The accomplice, 41-year-old Steve Simmons, also of Aurora, received a 10-year prison term last month.