DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that yesterday Judge Jeffrey MacKay has sentenced Julius Ramsey, 41 (d.o.b. 8/17/1982) formerly of Chicago, to eighty-eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting at gunpoint, a female employee of an Oak Brook hotel in the fall of 2019. On May 20, 2021, following a three-day-long trial, a jury found Ramsey guilty of three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault with a Firearm (Class X Felony), one count of Aggravated Kidnapping with a Firearm (Class X Felony) and one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony).

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The Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce honored DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin today with the Chamber’s Denny Hiffman Inspiring Leader Award at its annual Leadership Luncheon Award Ceremony held this afternoon at the Oak Brook Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse. The Chamber recognized Berlin for his yearslong aggressive protection of area retailers and shoppers from organized retail theft and violent criminals as well as his efforts that proved to be instrumental in amending the State’s new Safe-T-Act. ., Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber and Denny Hiffman presented the award to Berlin in front of approximately one hundred and fifty attendees including more than a dozen elected officials as well as leaders in the Oak Brook and Oak Brook Terrace communities.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Wood Dale Chief of Police Chris Zito announced today that Judge Joshua Dieden granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for a Cook County man accused of leading Chief Zito on a high-speed chase. Angelo Martinez, 28 (d.o.b. 6/3/1995) of the 3500 block of E. Frontage Road, Rolling Meadows, appeared at First Appearance Court this morning charged with two counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding (Class 4 Felony) and multiple Misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses including Reckless Driving and Driving While License Suspended, both Class A Misdemeanors.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin has announced that three initiatives proposed in his office’s 2023 legislative package have been signed into law.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Addison Director of Police Timothy “Bill” Hayden announced today that bond has been denied for a Chicago man accused of robbing an Addison Verizon store at gunpoint. Diamonte Walls, 25 (d.o.b. 7/31/1998) of the 9200 block of S. Bishop Street, appeared at a bond hearing this morning where Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh granted the State’s motion to deny bond. Walls is charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm (Class X Felony) and one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Class 2 Felony). 

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When there was a shooting at Oakbrook Center two days before Christmas in 2021, various law enforcement agencies quickly became involved, starting with nearly 300 police officers from Oak Brook and other communities who arrived at the scene.

The work of officers from several DuPage County departments, the State’s Attorney’s Office, and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office all were part of the response to the incident and the ensuing investigation. But one other organization, more behind-the-scenes than the others, also played a key role in the work that led to two suspects being charged in the incident.

This story takes a look at that organization, the DuPage County Crime Forensic Science Center (FSC) located in Wheaton, Illinois, and a division of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Glendale Heights Chief of Police George Pappas announced today that bond has been denied for a man accused of entering a Glendale Heights home and sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. Carlos Espinales-Guevara, 25 (d.o.b. 4/19/1998) of the 200 block of Gladstone Drive, appeared at a bond hearing this morning where Judge Daniel Guerin granted the State’s Motion to deny bond. Espinales-Guevara is charged with one count of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault – Victim Under 13 and one count of Home Invasion – Sex Offense. Both charges are a Class X Felony.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and West Chicago Chief of Police Colin Fleury announced today that bond has been set for an Arizona man charged with the 2001 sexual assault of a woman at a West Chicago apartment complex. Alberto Gomez, 51 (d.o.b. 6/19/1972) of Florence, Arizona, appeared at a bond hearing on July 12, 2023, where Judge Daniel Guerin set his bond at $5 million with 10% to apply. Gomez is charged with three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony), three counts of Criminal Sexual Assault (Class 1 Felony), one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 4 Felony).

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a jury has found Uber driver Ghazwan Alani, 35 (d.o.b. 10/26/1987), formerly of Palatine, guilty of sexually abusing a twenty-three-year-old female passenger upon arrival at her destination. The jury returned their verdict at approximately 9 p.m. last night following a three-day-long trial and after approximately three hours of deliberations. On September 2, 2020, Alani appeared at a bond hearing where bond was set at $100,000 with 10% to apply. He posted the necessary 10%, or $10,000, later that day and was released from custody. In all, the jury found Alani guilty of one count of Attempt Criminal Sexual Assault (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 4 Felony. The trial was in front of Judge Mia McPherson.

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Bob Berlin announces re-election campaign for DuPage County State’s Attorney. Berlin will appear on the November 2024 ballot.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin announced today that a taxicab driver who sexually assaulted a female customer in July 2017, has been sentenced to twenty-five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that Judge Michael Reidy has sentenced Thaddeus Jones, 26 (d.o.b. 10/29/1996) formerly of Aurora, to one hundred years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for breaking into a woman’s house, sexually assaulting the woman and forcing her to drive him to her bank to withdraw money from her account. On April 14, 2023, a jury found Jones guilty of the crimes following approximately two hours of deliberations and a four-day-long trial in front of Judge Reidy. In all, the jury found Jones guilty of two counts of Home Invasion (Class X Felony), eight counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony), two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping (Class X Felony), one count of Robbery (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (Class 2 Felony).

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a Broadview man who participated in hijacking a man’s car from a Lombard McDonalds drive-thru has been sentenced to twenty-two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Dallas Dabney, 28 (d.o.b. 6/16/1994), formerly of the 1900 block of S. 15th Avenue, appeared in court today where he entered a plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking with a Firearm, a Class X Felony. Judge Brian Telander handed down the sentence. On April 24, 2020, Dabney appeared in Bond Court where bond was set at $250,000 with 10% to apply. On March 18, 2021, Dabney posted the necessary 10%, or $25,000, and was released from custody. On January 27, 2023, Dabney’s bond was exonerated and he was returned to the custody of the DuPage County Jail, where he has since remained. The case against Dabney’s co-defendant, Antonio Protho, 22 (d.o.b. 3/5/2001), of Chicago, is ongoing. Protho’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 15, 2023, for a status hearing in front of Judge Telander.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, DuPage Regional Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Darlene Ruscitti, Head of the School Safety Task Force John Heiderscheidt and representatives from school districts as well as special education and other cooperatives across DuPage County, announced today the adoption of a new county-wide agreement that will expedite and facilitate the development and implementation of programs designed to provide mutual aid in crises in DuPage County school districts and cooperatives which exceed the capacity of an individual school district or cooperative to respond effectively on its own. The County’s new DuPage County School Mutual Aid Response Team (DuSMART) is the product of State’s Attorney Berlin’s and the County’s School Safety Task Force’s recognition that while DuPage County has fortunately not been subject to such occurrences, either man-made or natural, it is in the best interests of DuPage County students, staff and communities that they join together to plan for such occurrences and be prepared should they arise.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a Chicago man who participated in hijacking a pregnant woman’s car from her driveway has been sentenced to forty years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Emanuel Embry, 23 (d.o.b. 12/28/1999), formerly of the 100 block of N. Wood Street, Chicago, appeared in court today where Judge Michael Reidy handed down the sentence. On July 7, 2022, Embry entered a plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking with a firearm, a Class X Felony. On October 17, 2022, Judge Reidy sentenced one of Embry’s co-defendants, Daysean Washington-Davis, 22 (d.o.b. 7/12/2000), formerly of the 2200 block of Marshall Blvd., Chicago, to forty years in the IDOC. The case against Embry’s other co-defendant, Martavious Robinson, 20 (d.o.b. 7/30/2002), formerly of the 6400 block of S. Peoria, Chicago, is scheduled to go to trial on June 27, 2023. Robinson is charged with one count of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking and one count of Armed Robbery With a Firearm, both Class X Felonies.

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On April 18, 2023, the DuPage County Children's Advocacy Center hosted an open house for the benefit of social services and law enforcement agencies throughout the County. At the open house, DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin recognized Investigator Daniel Herbert of the West Chicago Police Department with a special Recognition of Excellence Award for his work on a recent case.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a jury has found Thaddeus Jones, 26 (d.o.b. 10/29/1996) formerly of Aurora, guilty of breaking into a woman’s house, sexually assaulting the woman and forcing her to drive him to her bank to withdraw money from her account. The jury reached their verdict after approximately two hours of deliberations following a four-day-long trial in front of Judge Michael Reidy. In all the jury found Jones guilty of two counts of Home Invasion (Class X Felony), eight counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony), two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping (Class X Felony), one count of Robbery (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (Class 2 Felony).

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a taxicab driver has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a female customer in July, 2017. This afternoon, following a six-day-long bench trial, Judge Michael Reidy found Sandeep Arora, 48 (d.o.b. 6/14/1974) of Naperville, guilty of sexually assaulting the woman once he had her alone in his taxicab. In all, Reidy found Arora guilty of two counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony), two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault (Class 1 Felony), one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 4 Felony.)

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On Wednesday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, the Honorable Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh, Presiding Judge of Specialty and Juvenile Courts Division and Diana Hightower, Coordinator of the DuPage Family Violence Coordinating Council unveiled the implementation of a new initiative that will better assist victims of domestic violence in accessing the resources available to them in a safe and discrete manner.

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DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced today that Judge Michael Reidy granted the State’s motion to deny bond for an Aurora man accused of opening fire on another man outside a Naperville bar last weekend. James Barnett, 27 (d.o.b. 7/8/1995) of the 0-100 block of Root Street, appeared at a bond hearing this morning where Judge Reidy granted the State’s motion to deny bond. Barnett is charged with one count of Armed Habitual Criminal (Class X Felony), one count of Aggravated Battery - Discharge of a Firearm (Class X Felony) and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 2 Felony). On March 16, 2023, Judge Joshua Dieden issued a $1 million full cash arrest warrant for Barnett. Barnett was taken into custody last night without incident.

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