Beach Park man admits obstruction in drug death
A Beach Park man was sentenced to a year of periodic imprisonment and a year of probation after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice for trying to cover up a drug-induced death that took place in his house earlier this year.
Six months of the jail sentence received by James Spencer, 47, was stayed to the end of his probation sentence and could possibly be dropped if he completes 200 hours of public service, Judge Patricia Fix said Monday.
Spencer was facing charges for helping his son, Mason, move the body of Russell Eilrich, 21, of Schaumburg. Eilrich died of an overdose in James Spencer's house Jan. 10, authorities said.
Charges of involuntary manslaughter and concealment of a death were dropped as part of the plea deal reached Monday. Had James Spencer been found guilty at trial, he could have been sentenced up to 7 years in prison.
He was awarded credit for 120 days spent in Lake County jail. That means he is due to be released from periodic imprisonment in two months.
During the next 60 days, Spencer will be allowed to leave jail only to find employment, perform public service hours, go to counseling, or to attend probation or court hearings.
Spencer did not speak during the plea deal agreement.
"My client wishes to express sympathy and condolences to the Eilrich family for their loss," defense attorney Eric Rinehart said outside the courtroom.
Lake County police officers were called at 7:10 a.m. Jan. 11 for a report of a person slumped over in a vehicle at North Wilson Avenue and West Edgewood Road in Beach Park, authorities said.
Officers found Eilrich dead in the vehicle, then determined he had been at Spencer's house on the 37900 block of North Loyola Avenue.
Mason Spencer is believed to have purchased drugs for the two men, police said. It's unknown specifically when Eilrich overdosed on the drugs he consumed.
Mason and James Spencer put Eilrich in his vehicle after he overdosed, drove it a block away and left him in the front seat, police said.
Mason Spencer pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to a year of probation as part of a negotiated sentence in April. As part of that plea deal, Mason Spencer was to testify against his father had the case gone to trial.
Charges of involuntary manslaughter, concealment of a death and unlawful possession of a controlled substance were dropped as part of the April plea deal.
"Today ends the darkest chapter of our life as parents," Russell Eilrich's father, Tim Eilrich, said during a victim impact statement in court. "Let us not forget the original intentions that Mason and his dad had. Their plan was to ditch our son's body in the back of our family car, take his wallet, his money and his phone."