Judge finds man guilty of providing beer to teen drinking party

A McHenry man who authorities say did a friend a favor by buying his little sister and her friends beer could spend up to a year behind bars for what proved to be a deadly gesture.

A McHenry County judge today found Edward Jungmann guilty of unlawful delivery of alcohol to a minor for supplying liquor to a party attended by a teenage girl who later suffered fatal injuries while driving home drunk.

Jungmann, 24, now faces a up to a year in the county jail and fines up to $2,500 when sentenced Jan. 10 on the misdemeanor charge. He and his attorney, Patrick Walsh, declined comment on the verdict.

The charge stemmed from allegations Jungmann bought two cases of beer for then 17-year-old Jenna Christophersen of McHenry on St. Patrick's Day 2005. Christophersen, whose older brother is a friend of Jungmann, took the beer home and drank it with a group of friends and high school classmates, authorities said.

One of those friends, Jamie Lyn Smith, 17, of Hebron, was driving drunk after the party when she lost control of her car on Route 47 near her hometown and struck a telephone pole. Smith died from her injuries about eight months later.

Although Smith's death never was an issue during Jungmann's two-day trial, it could be at his sentencing.

"We are going to consider asking for a jail sentence because of the far-reaching effects in this case," Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Matthew Campobasso said. "The purpose of the statute is to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors who aren't prepared to deal with its effects."

In reaching his verdict today, Charles Weech indicated he relied heavily on the testimony of Krista Folsom, a 19-year-old college student and friend of Christophersen.

Testifying only after receiving immunity from criminal prosecution, Folsom said she was with Jungmann and Christophersen when he bought her the beer at a McHenry grocery story.

"I do have evidence from Miss Folsom who said Mr. Jungmann went into the store, came out with two cases of beer and placed it in the car, that being Jenna Christophersen's car," Weech said. "I found she was a very credible witness."

McHenry County prosecutors initially charged Jungmann with causing Smith's death but dismissed that case after determining he could not be held criminally responsible because her decision to drive - and not just the alcohol - were to blame.

Christophersen also faced charges related to the St. Patrick's Day party, but Weech dismissed them last year, ruling that a minor could not be charged with unlawfully supplying alcohol to another minor. That ruling is under appeal.