Hawthorn Woods man admits lying to cops

A Hawthorn Woods man was sentenced to two years probation Tuesday after admitting he lied to police about how his car was damaged.

Anthony Nilsson, 19, was also ordered to perform 150 hours of community service after pleading guilty to felony disorderly conduct.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Steven Derue said Nilsson, of the 0-100 block of Princeton Court, claimed he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, when in fact, he sideswiped another vehicle on Dec. 11.

Prosecutors said Nilsson drove a 2003 Cadillac into the drive-through lane at a Starbucks in Mundelein. After placing his order and while the clerk had turned away, Nilsson grabbed the tip jar from the window ledge and accelerated out of the lane, Derue said.

Nilsson sideswiped a car as he pulled into traffic, Derue said. The woman driving that vehicle provided police a partial license plate number and description of the car and its driver.

Later that day, Derue said, Nilsson called Hawthorn Woods police and told them he had been the victim of a hit-and-run driver who had damaged his car.

Police went to the area where Nilsson said his car had been hit, Derue said, and could not find any evidence of a vehicle crash.

In March, a Mundelein police officer driving to court in Waukegan saw Nilsson in the Cadillac near the courthouse and realized the car and driver matched information provided by the victim of the hit and run.

Nilsson was asked to come to the Mundelein police station for questioning, Derue said, and admitted what he had done.

Derue agreed to drop a charge of leaving the scene of an accident in exchange for Nilsson's guilty plea to the felony disorderly conduct charge.