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McHenry County News DISPLAY ADVERTISING & CLASSIFIEDS: 815-654-4850 • CIRCULATION: 815-654-4854 • E-MAIL: McHenryNews@RVPublishing.com
VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 2
11512 N. 2nd ST. • MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018
Woodstock Police Department K9 Blue has received body armor Woodstock Police Department’s K9 Blue has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Blue’s vest is sponsored by a fundraiser hosted by Chive on Chicago and embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by Chive on Chicago.” Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 2,700 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate dona-
tions, at a cost of over 2.3 million dollars. The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate. The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.
Federal jury convicts leader of armed robbery crew in nine heists
WOODSTOCK PD PHOTO McHenry County News
Woodstock Police Department’s K9 Blue received a bullet and stab protective vest.
Christmas sharing
A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man of leading an armed robbery crew that targeted retail stores and businesses on the city’s north and northwest sides. Robert L. Berrios, 50, committed the nine armed robberies in 2012. His crew mainly struck at cellular telephone stores, often terrorizing store employees by wearing masks and brandishing firearms. In some of the heists, the robbers physically restrained store employees with zip ties. The heists netted the crew tens of thousands of dollars in cash and cell phones. After an eight-day trial in federal court in Chicago, the jury on Thursday convicted Berrios on all 12 robbery, firearm and conspiracy
MCHENRY COUNTY SHERIFF PHOTO McHenry County News
On Dec. 22 members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office delivered Christmas meals to families around McHenry County. Thank you to the Meijer in McHenry for all the help on getting these meals together.
charges against him. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set sentencing for March 22, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. Berrios faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 22 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Georgia Alexakis. All four charged members of the robbery crew have now been convicted. The other charged members, Julio Rodriguez, 36, David Revis, 37, and Luis Diaz, 33, all of Chicago, previously pleaded guilty and admitted their roles in the heists. Revis was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Diaz was sentenced to three years. Rodriguez is awaiting sentencing. Evidence at Berrios’ trial revealed that the crew worked together to identify businesses to target and obtain intelligence about the locations, including store hours and number of employees working at a given time. The crew communicated with one another via cell phone to plan the robberies and procure the necessary tools, including the masks, zip ties, firearms and getaway vehicles. The jury convicted Berrios of leading the crew in nine robberies: July 1, 2012: Walgreens store, 5935 W. Addison St., Chicago. July 28, 2012: Currency Exchange, 2753 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. Aug. 15, 2012: Currency Exchange, 2814 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Sept. 19, 2012: T-Mobile store, 1552 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Sept. 28, 2012: T-Mobile store, 1958 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. Oct. 2, 2012: T-Mobile store, 4000 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. Oct. 13, 2012: T-Mobile store, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., Chicago. Oct. 16, 2012: Cricket store, 3200 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago. Oct. 22, 2012: AT&T store, 3955 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.