Man charged with stealing from cellmate, daughter

When Rene Nevarez left the Kane County jail on April 3, his cellmate gave him a check for $1,631.99 to hire an attorney for him, police say.

The attorney never got the money.

Instead, police say, the Carpentersville man went to the cellmate's daughter, where she gave him an additional $1,590 on three different visits in April and May to hire an attorney for her father, according to court records.

The cellmate and his daughter were never contacted by an attorney.

When the cellmate and his daughter tried to contact Nevarez after Sept. 10, they found he wasn't home and his telephone had been disconnected.

Then they went to Carpentersville police.

When police arrested Nevarez on Monday for another offense, they discovered he also was wanted on charges of stealing the combined $3,222.

Nevarez, 33, of 143 Madera Circle, was charged in court Tuesday with two counts of felony theft, police said.

Carpentersville police said Nevarez admitted receiving $1631.99 from his former cell mate and between $1,100 to $1,300 from his daughter.

He also told police he never talked to any attorney about his former cellmate's case and spent the money at a casino and on other things for himself.

If convicted of both counts of theft, Nevarez could receive four to 10 years in prison.

He was sent to the Kane County jail Tuesday morning after he was unable to post a $1,500 bond.

His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 24 at the Kane County Judicial Center.