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Woman guilty of animal cruelty Could receive probation or 1 to 4 years in prison in horse starvation case By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com
Jamie A. Koy, 41, of Mount Prospect and formerly of Crystal Lake
WOODSTOCK – For a second time, a McHenry County jury convicted a former Crystal Lake woman on multiple counts of animal cruelty. Authorities said Jamie A. Koy, 41, now of Mount Prospect, starved four horses in her care. They were so malnourished, attorneys said they were a “bag of bones” when taken for veterinar-
ian care after Koy’s 2013 arrest. Koy previously was convicted of misdemeanor animal cruelty in 2011 and placed on probation. As part of that, McHenry County Animal Control inspected her horses in April 2013 and found them to be “extremely emaciated.” She was arrested May 1, 2013. Because of her earlier conviction, Koy’s charges were enhanced to felonies. She could be sentenced to probation or one
Police: $700K in drugs seized
to four years in prison. Her sentence will be decided by McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather on June 24. Over the state’s objection, Prather allowed Koy to remain free on bond until her sentencing. The judge revoked her earlier probation, part of which included a 60-day stayed jail sentence, which prosecutors asked to be served immediately. During the two-day trial, prosecutors showed images of four
horses taken around the time of Koy’s arrest. Each animal displayed protruding shoulder and hip bones. Some had hair loss that is consistent with malnutrition, testimony revealed. Three veterinarians each confirmed a starvation diagnosis and not some other underlying medical problem causing the animals to be so thin. “These horses did not starve themselves, they did not go on a hunger strike,” Assistant State’s
Attorney David Metnick said in his closing argument. “They did not have food because the defendant did not provide any.” It took jurors one hour to return the guilty verdict on each of the 12 counts – four for animal cruelty, and eight for failing to provide adequate food, water and veterinary care. In his closing argument, Koy’s attorney Jon Neuleib said
See ANIMAL CRUELTY, page A6
SAFEGUARDS FOR INTERNET BUYERS AND SELLERS
Five charged after raid in Huntley By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com HUNTLEY – Luxury and collectible automobiles were among five vehicles seized as part of a drug bust Tuesday that also found several thousands in cash; 295 pounds of marijuana; more than 60 pills of MDMA, also known as Molly; more than 500 prescription painkillers; and 25 grams of cocaine. The search of the Huntley home was the latest step in an eight-month investigation into an “extensive drug dealing enterprise” by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rockford office, the Illinois Attorney General, the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, as well as the Carpentersville, Lake in the Hills and Huntley police departments, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Nicholas A. Domino, 45, of Huntley is accused of being the head of the operation and has been charged with 25 felonies, including four Class X felonies for possession with the intent to deliver more than 5,000 grams of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver within 1,000 feet of a school. His wife, Ricio Domino, 37, also was charged with 20 felonies, including two of the same Class X felonies. Three other Huntley residents – Angelo Aranda, 20; Adam K. Domino, 24; and Leann S. Nevens, 19 – also were arrested Tuesday as part of the case and charged with possession of marijuana, a Class C misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. Nicholas and Ricio Domino remain at the McHenry County Jail with bond set at $1 million for Nicholas Domino and $300,000 for Ricio Domino. The other three arrested made bond Tuesday. Officials expect more seizures to occur at other residences owned by Domino as the investigation continues, the release said. The drugs seized at the Dominos’ home in the 9600 block of Bennington Drive in Huntley carry a street value estimated at more than $700,000.
Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
Lake in the Hills patrolman Jay Recchia poses Monday for a portrait in the Lake in the Hills police station parking lot, where several parking spaces have been designated an “online transaction safe zone.” The spots are monitored by nearby video cameras and offer Internet users a safe place to meet to exchange money and items.
‘Safe havens’ for online sales Police offer space to complete transactions By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com Residents looking to exchange goods they’ve bought or sold on Craigslist can now look toward police parking lots in Lake in the Hills and Woodstock for the meet-up. Joining a national trend, both police departments recently designated their parking lots and front lobbies as Internet “safe havens” for the increasing number of buyers and sellers who shop online and exchange products in person. Lake in the Hills Police Chief David Brey said the designation creates a safeguard for strangers who decide to meet and swap goods bought or sold through Craigslist and other online marketplaces. “Somebody who is setting up an illegitimate transaction is not going to meet the other party in a police parking lot to do it,” Brey said. The Lake in the Hills department created the Internet sale zone earlier this winter after a res-
ident suggested the idea would better protect people who shop online, Brey said. A hookup between online buyers and sellers at the Lake in the Hills police parking lot allows authorities to respond quickly if the transaction goes awry, Brey said. The parking lot is under all-day video surveillance, monitored by dispatchers who can alert officers’ attention to an issue or crime they see developing. Although not required, people looking to exchange online goods also can call the Lake in the Hills department before the meet-up and alert officers’ attention to it, Brey said. If requested, an officer also can oversee the transaction in person. Numerous police departments across Illinois and the country have created similar zones in recent years, as stories about crimes committed during the in-person exchanges have made headlines. A 2010 study from AIM Group found that police across the country linked 330 lesser crimes, 105 robberies and 12 murders to Craigslist transactions made in 2010. The Florida-based AIM Group is a consulting firm that specializes in interactive media and classified advertising. In Illinois, police departments in Naperville,
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Peoria and other cities have created similar safe havens to the one in Lake in the Hills. Woodstock police earlier this spring became the second police agency in McHenry County to offer a Internet safe haven. Like the one in Lake in the Hills, the Woodstock department’s parking lot is under all-day video surveillance. Online buyers and sellers are encouraged, but not required, to tell Woodstock officers about the meet-up before it takes place. Few residents have used the department’s parking lot and front lobby as a meeting location for online transactions, Chief Robert Lowen said. But as the awareness grows, the service – residents will find – wards off online buyers or sellers looking to commit a crime, Lowen said. “There is a chance you can get robbed. People come selling an iPhone, meets a person, holds a gun to them, and then they are out of here,” Lowen said. “I think it’s a good service.”
“Somebody who is setting up an illegitimate transaction is not going to meet the other party in a police parking lot to do it.” David Brey, Lake in the Hills police chief
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