Man who stole from friend gets 3 years in prison

A Glen Ellyn man with a history of bilking well-intentioned friends who loaned him money was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for his latest theft scheme.

Lenell A. Watkins, 68, hasn't had a job since 1990 but still managed to regularly visit off-track betting and racetrack facilities.

In fact, he made 759 phone calls to up to eight gambling establishments in a seven-month period last year and workers there knew him as a regular.

Prosecutor William Wu said Watkins "borrowed" more than $30,000 from a Wheaton woman he knew for a decade in a series of loans from September 2008 through January that he failed to pay back.

Watkins pleaded guilty earlier this year to committing felony theft.

"This defendant's word is not reliable," DuPage Circuit Judge Peter J. Dockery said. "He is, in effect, a con man."

The Wheaton woman testified Wednesday that she felt bad for Watkins, who she knew was unemployed, and trusted him to make good on the loans she gave him for what she thought would go toward living expenses.

She said Watkins claimed he would be coming into a lot of money through the sale of a townhouse in Cleveland, Ohio that he inherited after a friend's death. He also said the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority settled a discrimination lawsuit he reportedly filed for $233,000. Both claims turned out to be false, Wu said.

Brian Jacobs, a senior DuPage County public defender, sought leniency. He argued Watkins did not have criminal intent but, rather, was struggling financially.

Watkins does not have a violent criminal history, but he did plead guilty to a misdemeanor theft case in 2005 in which he stole more than $10,000.

Watkins repaid more than half since receiving probation, which he violated in the Wheaton theft case.

"He ended up in financial difficulties," Jacobs said. "He didn't want to turn to his family for help, and that's why he did what he did. He admitted what he did was wrong, and he's here to take responsibility."

Watkins denies having a gambling problem. He apologized and pledged to pay back every penny.

His church pastor and family members testified in his defense. Wheaton Mayor Michael Gresk also wrote a letter of support on Watkins' behalf.

It's unclear how the two men know each other, but Watkins is a longtime area resident after moving here from Alabama in 1960.

Watkins is eligible for parole after serving less than half the prison term. He must pay more than $30,000 in restitution, plus the remaining money he owes his first victim.

Authorities said a third accuser also came forward with similar allegations against Watkins, but the man has not pursued criminal charges.