Pair deny charges in connection with Barrington Hills robbery

Two men arrested in connection with a Barrington Hills home burglary pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court to weapons charges in that case.

Nicola Pugliese, 21, and Edward McCluskey, 32, are charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a weapon by a felon.

Assistant State's Attorney James Newman said Pugliese, of the 7500 block of Bristol Lane in Hanover Park, was stopped just before midnight Sept. 7 when the car he was driving went through a stop sign in the Lake County portion of Barrington.

The officer saw a 26-inch television set, other electronic equipment and several bins containing jewelry in the back seat, Newman said. A search of the entire car turned up an AK-47 assault rifle, 11 loaded ammunition magazines, eight handguns and 12 boxes of ammunition, he said.

The jewelry is estimated to be worth $500,000 to $600,000, he said.

Police traced the property to a house in the Cook County portion of Barrington Hills, and Pugliese told police he had loaned his car to McCluskey earlier in the evening. It was McCluskey who did the burglary, Pugliese told police, and then forced Pugliese to drive him home at gunpoint just before the traffic stop.

McCluskey, of the 300 block of Franklin Street in Barrington, was arrested at his residence a short time later.

Newman said the pair face up to seven years in prison if convicted of the Lake County charges, and as many as 15 more if convicted of the residential burglary charges filed against them in Cook County.

Circuit Judge John Phillips scheduled a trial of the case for Nov. 19. Phillips order both men, who are held on $250,000 bond, to appear in court Oct. 21.