Probation violations sends Arlington Heights man to prison

An Arlington Heights man who initially avoided prison for causing a fatal drunken driving crash in East Dundee was ordered behind bars Thursday for repeatedly violating terms of his probation.

Brian M. Poliarny, 20, was sentenced to four years in prison after failing a mandatory drug test and leaving his apartment in violation of an electronic home monitoring condition.

Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti said a drug test in March indicated Poliarny had marijuana in his system.

Probation officers visiting Poliarny to discuss the failed test caught him leaving his apartment and entering another in the complex, Barsanti said.

Poliarny was acquitted of first-degree murder in August 2007, but pleaded guilty to aggravated drunken driving, for a Jan. 12 2007 crash that killed a 16-year-old passenger.

Authorities said Poliarny had marijuana and alcohol in his system that day when he drove through an intersection and struck a brick wall outside the Haeger Pottery store in East Dundee. The collision killed Roman Pokorny, a junior at Dundee-Crown High School.

Poliarny initially was sentenced to 180 days in the Kane County jail and four years probation, including 12 months of intensive probation. As conditions of probation, Kane County Circuit Court Judge Grant S. Wegner ordered Poliarny to work full-time, attend classes at Elgin Community College, undergo a psychiatric evaluation and random drug testing, and live on electronic home monitoring after his release from jail.

A year was added to his probation in September 2008 when he was charged in Cook County with theft for stealing $65 in merchandise from a Rolling Meadows Meijer store.

Poliarny must serve at least 85 percent of the prison sentence. He was given credit for the 152 days already served in the Kane County jail.