Teens indicted for setting Federal Paperboard fire

Grand jury also hands down new indictments for Carbon Hill armed robbery

The Grundy County Circuit Court Grand Jury Wednesday returned indictments against two teenagers for starting a March 30 fire at the Federal Paperboard property.

Albert Matas, 19, 2011 Oak Forest, and Justin Cloud, 19, Posen, were charged with setting the building at 960 E. North Street on fire about 1 a.m. on May 30. The building, owned by Norm Wexler, was being demolished at the time of the fire, but equipment in the building was destroyed.

Matas, Cloud and Nicholas Bowden, 17, 502 West Avenue, were indicted for burglarizing the same building. They were charged with entering the building to commit arson.

Morris Det. Alicia Steffes testified before the grand jury and bond was continued at $1,000 for each.
Seth Curtiss, 18, and Marcus McGath, 36, were re-indicted for an April 30 armed robbery in Carbon Hill. In May, they were indicted for using a gun to take about $600 cash from William Perry.

Wednesday’s indictment charged they used a gun to take “drugs and or United States currency from the person of William E. Perry.”

They were also indicted for possession and possession with intent to deliver of 30 to 500 grams of marijuana.

Grundy County Det. Rick Onsen testified and bond was continued at $25,000 cash for each.

Eric Berrong, 28, 2200 Berta Road, Braceville, was indicted for aggravated discharge of a gun and unlawful restraint. He was charged May 24 with throwing a woman into the bathroom of their residence and nailing the door shut.

He was also indicted for firing a gun in the direction of the woman. Aggravated discharge of a firearm is a Class 1 felony, the more serious charge, while unlawful restraint is a Class 4 felony.

Deputy R. H. Coleman testified and bond was set at $50,000.

Christopher Sage, 17, 107 Center St., Gardner, was indicted for the May 21 burglary of a 1996 Ford van parked at 107 N. Elm Street, Gardner.

Deputy Anthony Cheshareck testified before the grand jury and bond was continued at $500.

Jason McConnell, 34, 1024 Dresden Drive, and Joshua Barnette, 25, 103 E. North, Newark, were indicted for possession of cocaine on May 25. Barnette was also indicted for bringing contraband, marijuana, into the Grundy County Jail.

Morris Officer Doris Noll testified before the grand jury in both cases. Bond for McConnell was continued at $300 and for Barnette, $500 cash.

Christopher Divis, 19, 545 Shabbona, Coal City, was indicted for aggravated domestic battery. He was charged May 21 with punching a woman in the face. The charge was upgraded to a felony because of prior convictions for violating an order of protection on July 25, 2008, and Feb. 6, 2009, both in Grundy County.

Coal City Officer Kevin Jones testified and bond was continued at $1,500 cash.

Jillian Wawerski, 25, and Richard Wawerski, 22, both of Ottawa, were indicted for possession of heroin on May 4. They were arrested after a traffic stop on Interstate 80, near Illinois 47.

Deputy Paul Clampitt testified and bond was continued at $1,000 cash for Richard and $500 for Jillian.

Billy Tillotson, 40, Bureau, was indicted for possession of heroin. He was charged April 30 after a traffic stop on the ramp from Illinois 47 to eastbound Interstate 80. Arrested for driving with a suspended license, Tillotson was found to have two bags of suspected heroin in his possession.

Morris Officer Scott Ator testified and bond was continued at $750 cash.

Joshua Stob, 29, 400 Main, Mazon, was indicted for possession of heroin after his arrest by Morris police on May 17.

Officer Paul Burke testified and bond was continued at $750.

Luis Contreras, 31, Joliet, was indicted for possession of cocaine after his May 1 arrest by Minooka police.

Officer Sean Wojtczak testified and bond was continued at $750 cash.

Daniel Quinn, 25, 511 Liberty St., was indicted for possession of heroin after his Jan. 12 arrest by Morris police.

Sgt. Chad Skelton testified before the grand jury.

Ryan Aichele, 20, 114 W. Washington St., Gardner, was indicted for criminal damage to property. He was charged May 9 with driving through a gate at the South Wilmington Fireman’s Club.

Deputy Cheshareck testified.

Donald Fisher, 21, 406 Liberty St., was indicted for domestic battery. He was charged May 6 with punching a woman in the nose and squeezing her face, breaking a tooth, while on Liberty Street. The charge was upgraded to a felony because of an April 24 domestic battery conviction in Grundy County.
Officer Noll testified and bond was continued at $1,000 cash.

Amanda Wisz, 25, 218 E. Jackson St., was indicted for obstructing justice. She was charged May 3 with giving a false name to Deputy Kenneth Unland, knowing her license was suspended.

Deputy Unland testified and bond was continued at $100 cash.

Annette Laurencell, 43, 52 Cambridge, Gardner, was indicted for felony DUI and driving with a revoked license. She was arrested April 20 after an accident on Braceville Road.The DUI charge was upgraded to a felony because her license was revoked at the time of her arrest and she had two prior convictions – June 8, 1986, in Cook County, and May 14, 1997, in Lake County.

The revoked license charge was upgraded because of a prior conviction – June 27, 2003, in Will County.

Deputy Coleman testified and bond was continued at $300 cash.

Andra Harris, 53, was indicted for felony driving with a revoked license. She was charged May 16 with driving on Interstate 55. The charge was upgraded because of two prior convictions – Dec. 9, 2006, in Cook County, and Feb.14, 2008, in DuPage County.

Deputy Cheshareck testified and bond was continued at $100 cash.

Frank Pifer, 25, High Street, was indicted on two counts of felony driving with a revoked license. He was arrested Jan. 23, on Liberty and Wauponsee streets, and April 23, on Armstrong Street.

The charges were upgraded because of a prior conviction – June 6, 2007, in Will County.
Morris Officer Ben Wiechen and Sgt. Chad Skelton testified.