Palatine man gets $2 million bail on home invasion charge

If winning $100,000 in the Illinois lottery wasn't enough good fortune, a 41-year-old Rolling Meadows man also survived four gunshot wounds to the upper body from men who tried to steal his winnings during a home invasion last September, according to Cook County prosecutors at a bond hearing Friday for one of the co-defendants.

A Cook County judge set bail at $2 million for Carmine Palella, 47, charged with attempted murder and home invasion in the Sept. 6 incident.

After winning the lottery in Summer 2009, the victim shared the news of his good fortune with several people, including Palella's brother, who in turn informed Palella, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy, supervisor for Rolling Meadows' Third Municipal District.

The victim said he has known Palella, of the 1500 block of Norway Lane, Palatine, and Palella's brother for most of his life, McCarthy said.

Palella and two co-offenders spent the evening of Sept. 5 at a village festival. Later that night, Palella told the co-offenders he believed the victim had money and a safe at his residence, McCarthy said. About 1 a.m., the defendant drove them to the victim's house where the co-offenders, dressed in dark clothes and skeleton masks, broke down the rear door, shattering the glass, McCarthy said.

The victim and his roommate heard the commotion and went to the back door to keep out the intruders, McCarthy said. The roommate swung a baseball bat at the offenders, one of whom fired at the victim, said McCarthy.

A bullet lodged in his chest, said McCarthy. Three others went through his abdomen, right shoulder and arm, she said, but the victim survived.

Meanwhile, Palella waited for the co-offenders, who ran back to his truck and removed their masks, McCarthy said. As Palella drove them home, the men recounted what happened, McCarthy said.

Palella later admitted his part in the incident to a witness in a tape-recorded conversation, McCarthy said. The defendant was not aware he was being recorded at the time. He also made statements to Rolling Meadows police, she said.

Palella has a pending misdemeanor theft case in Rolling Meadows. He also has five felony convictions, including two for theft in 2006. For those charges, as well as a 2007 conviction for possession of a controlled substance, he served concurrent terms of two years in prison, McCarthy said. He was convicted of deceptive practices in 2005 and sentenced to a year in prison. He received 24 months probation for another deceptive practices charge in 2004. An order of protection his mother obtained against him in 2009 is no longer valid, McCarthy said.

Citing the ongoing investigation, Rolling Meadows police declined to comment on what led to Palella's arrest and on the status of the co-offenders.

Palella next appears in court on Feb. 24.