Belleville politician gets 4 years in prison for jewel theft

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A 24-year-old precinct committeeman for Belleville has been sentenced to four years in prison for stealing $46,000 in jewelry from a county judge.

Carlous C. Huston pleaded guilty to two counts of theft on Tuesday. In addition to the four-year sentence, he agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and $46,000 in restitution for the stolen jewelry.

According to court documents, Huston stole the jewels from St. Clair County Associate Judge Laninya Cason between September and November 2013.

The Belleville News-Democrat (http://bit.ly/17lEYUL ) reports Huston also pleaded guilty to stealing more than $500 from a Mascoutah dentist.

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Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com