Aurora man gets 10 years in prison on theft, armed violence charges

A 20-year-old man recently was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from two 2018 arrests in Aurora.

Brandon A. Alcaraz-Rua, of the 100 block of North State Street in Aurora, pleaded guilty in late May to felony theft in connection with allegations he and another person beat and robbed a man at gunpoint Dec. 7, 2018, in an alley on the 100 block of North Union Street in Aurora.

Alcaraz-Rua initially was charged with armed robbery, which could have landed him up to 30 years in prison, but instead admitted guilt to theft as part of a plea deal.

The two-year prison sentence handed down in that case will be served after Alcaraz-Rua completes an eight-year sentence stemming from his Feb. 19, 2018, arrest on allegations he had a .38-caliber revolver while also in possession of a controlled substance, Alprazolam, and more than 30 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver, according to court records.

He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted armed violence in that case.

Under state law, he can have his sentence cut in half for good behavior in prison. He also gets credit for 582 days, or about 19 months, served at the Kane County jail while his case was pending.