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VOL. 17 • NO. 38
CLUB
410716
WWW.THEINDEPENDENTNEWSPAPERS.COM
THURSDAY, FEB. 3, 2022
Convicted gunrunner charged after cutting off electronic monitor following brother’s funeral Former Villa Park resident being held without bond
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that bond was denied for a recently convicted gunrunner accused of fleeing after cutting off his electronic Bruce Berrier GPS monitor following his brother’s funeral. Bruce Berrier, 23, formerly of Villa Park, appeared in Bond Court where Judge Craig Belford ordered he be held without bond. Berrier has been charged with one count of Indirect criminal contempt of court, one count of escape/violate electronic home monitoring detention program (Class 3 felony), one count
of failure to return to a penal institution (Class 3 felony) and one count of criminal damage to government supported property (Class 4 felony.) If found guilty of indirect criminal contempt of court, Illinois statutes allow for indeterminate sentencing in excess of six months in the IDOC, to be determined by the court. On July 2, 2021, Berrier entered a plea of guilty to one count of gunrunning, a Class 1 felony. On Dec. 14, 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to be served at 75 percent. On Monday, Jan. 10, while still in custody at the DuPage County Jail awaiting transfer to the IDOC and over the State’s objection, Berrier was granted permission by the Court to attend his brother’s funeral services on
Tuesday, Jan. 11. At approximately 8 a.m. on Jan. 11, after being fitted with an electronic GPS monitoring device, Berrier was released from custody from the DuPage County Jail. As per the Court’s order, Berrier was to return to the DuPage County Jail at 2 p.m. the same day. It is alleged that at approximately 1:27 p.m., Berrier cut off his electronic GPS monitoring device. Shortly after, Berrier’s electronic GPS monitoring device was found by the Elmhurst Police Department. It is further alleged that Berrier failed to return to the DuPage County Jail by 2 p.m. as ordered by the court. Judge Kleeman issued a $150,000 arrest warrant on the criminal damage to government supported property charge.
The following day, Jan. 12, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition for indirect criminal contempt. Subsequently, Judge Reidy issued a no-bond arrest warrant for Berrier. On Jan. 13, Judge Kleeman issued a $500,000 arrest warrant for Berrier on the escape charges. On Jan. 22, Berrier was located at the Jewel Osco in Glendale Heights and taken into custody. The cases against Berrier will be in front of Judge Reidy. If found guilty, any sentence Berrier receives will be served consecutively to his previously imposed tenyear sentence. “Thanks to the outstanding work of all the law enforcement agencies involved, Bruce Berrier’s alleged at-
tempt to avoid the consequences of his previous criminal activity was short-lived,” Berlin said. “The quick and peaceful apprehension of a man serving a lengthy sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections for gunrunning sends the message that in DuPage County, we will use every tool at our disposal to not only see to it that justice is served but more importantly, ensure the safety of the public. I thank The U.S. Marshal’s Office, the Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Downers Grove, Berwyn, Cicero and Glendale Heights police departments and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and his office for their collaborative efforts in this case.” Berrier’s next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14 for arraignment in front of Judge Reidy.
Fenton seeks adults for Career Talk Thursdays Thank you to Matthew Welmers, Fenton Alumni Class of 2010, for being Fenton’s inaugural guest speaker for Career Talk Thursdays. Welmers currently works as an analytical chemist for INX International Ink Co. He spoke with students in Room 302 during all three lunch periods on Thursday, explaining what he did as a student at Fenton, his college choices, and his experiences entering his career. He also explained today’s potential paths to become a chemist. This new recurring segment (ev-
ery other Thursday) shows Fenton students a real-life example of who they can become and the work they could do for a living. All students should watch for announcements about upcoming speakers. You might end up meeting someone who is already doing your dream job. Career Talk Thursdays is a product of our Career Pathways Steering Committee, led by director of curriculum and instruction Michelle
See FENTON, Page 4
Inside:
Police Reports...........6 Puzzles ������������7 & 10 Viewpoint.................8 Classifieds............14
Lining up to get tested
MIKE SANDROLINI PHOTO Bensenville Independent
The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has risen sharply in Illinois and across the country recently, and COVID-19 testing sites around Elmhurst — like this site along North Avenue — have been very busy. This particular site, which is located in the parking lot of Shalimar Banquets, offers free COVID-19 drive-thru testing. The DuPage County Health Department also offers testing at The Odeum Expo Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Testing is free, but limited tests are available each day. The Illinois Department of Public Health on Jan. 7 reported 201,428 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in the state from Dec. 31 to Jan. 6. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity rate during that same period was 18.5 percent.
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