Convicted Round Lake killer indicted on a charge of threatening judge

A former Round Lake man already imprisoned for his role in a 2001 McHenry murder is facing new charges alleging he sent a threatening letter to a federal judge.

A federal grand jury indicted Justin Houghtaling Oct. 30 on charges of mailing threatening communications, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The indictment claims Houghtaling, 26, sent a judge identified only as Victim A a communication "which contained a threat to injure Victim A."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Samborn said Monday he could not comment further on the allegations, but confirmed that the letter was sent to a judge in the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, which includes Chicago and most of the suburbs.

It was the second time in a little more than a month Houghtaling has been indicted on new charges. In late September, a McHenry County grand jury indicted him on five counts of perjury, alleging he gave false testimony during the August trial of murder co-defendant Kenneth E. Smith.

Those charges could add another 10 years to the 20 Houghtaling already is serving for his part in the March 2001 slaying of Lakemoor businessman Raul Briseno.

Briseno was shot to death while chasing two would-be robbers out of his restaurant, Burrito Express, in McHenry.

Houghtaling, one of the two robbers but not the shooter, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder under a deal in which he received the minimum 20-year sentence in exchange for a promise to testify truthfully against Smith.

Authorities say he broke that promise when he told Smith's jury that McHenry County prosecutors were forcing him to give false testimony and that McHenry County Judge Robert Beaderstadt, at one time the case's lead prosecutor, offered him $3,000 to implicate Smith.

Despite Houghtaling's testimony, a jury convicted Smith, 32, of Park City, of first-degree murder and he was sentenced last week to 67 years in prison.

Because federal charges take precedence over state cases, the perjury case will be put on hold while the new charge is pending. Houghtaling is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Chicago Wednesday for arraignment.