Chicago man gets 7 years for burglary, car thefts in Elmhurst, Villa Park
The first of three Chicago men charged in a November burglary and car theft spree in Elmhurst and Villa Park has been sentenced to prison.
Tyrone Wilson, 19, was sentenced to seven years Thursday after pleading guilty in February to a single count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Wilson's co-defendants Deanthony Webb, 23, and Deonte Daniel, 21, are each being held on $250,000 bail, as they await trial on charges of burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Prosecutors said Elmhurst officers, responding to a report of a prowler at 5 a.m. Nov. 27, 2017, on the 600 block of Fay Avenue, spotted two vehicles, a Toyota Sequoia and a Dodge Journey, and attempted to stop both cars. The drivers of both vehicles tried to flee and struck each other.
Detective Ken Lafin testified during Thursday's sentencing that Wilson was driving the stolen Dodge Journey that struck a marked squad car on the 400 block of West Avenue. The Toyota struck a house before the suspects all ran away.
Lafin said the Dodge was reported stolen in Villa Park and the Toyota was stolen in Elmhurst.
Lafin said the men had been entering unlocked cars and garages to steal valuables or to look for cars with keys in the ignition.
In all, Lafin said, 14 burglaries were reported overnight between Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 in an eight-block area.
Proceeds believed to be from those burglaries were found in the Dodge.
Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Lindt sought the maximum 14-year sentence, citing Wilson's extensive juvenile criminal history and the fact he was on probation for possession of a stolen motor vehicle at the time he was arrested.
"This defendant's criminal history, at the age of 19, rivals that of hardened criminals twice his age," Lindt said. "He is a menace. One could say he is a crime wave unto himself."
When given a chance to speak, Wilson pleaded for probation and said he was ready to change his life to provide for his two young children.
"When I get out I'm going to come up with a charity program that will change the world," Wilson told Judge John Kinsella. "I'm willing to change for the whole world."
Kinsella said he did not think a maximum sentence was appropriate for a 19-year-old, but the "principal player in a lot of crimes throughout the Chicagoland area" needed to be punished.
"You should be ashamed of yourself. Your involvement in a countless number of cases is out of control," Kinsella said. "You've brought shame to your family."
Wilson still has a pending burglary charge in Kane County.
Webb is next due in court on June 4. Daniel's next court date is June 26.