With a mumbled “Yep,” Jaquan Green-Hosey confirmed he understood his 25-year prison sentence in the 2014 murder of an Aurora man inside a Lake Street restaurant.
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The 22-year-old from Joliet fidgeted as attorneys and Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler discussed the murder charge against him and how his testimony during his brother’s trial locked him into an agreement he made with prosecutors in February. The latter point came up after Jaquan provided a written request, which was denied, to have 10 years shaved off his sentence included in the seven-month-old agreement.
It was about a month ago Jaquan took the witness stand to implicate his brother, Dimitri, in the shooting death of Arin Williams during what prosecutors described as a drug robbery turned murder inside the now-closed La Torta restaurant.
Jurors took about six hours to convict Dimitri of shooting Williams in the back of the head after Jaquan grabbed a bag of marijuana the brothers had arranged to buy from Williams. At trial, Dimitri claimed he acted in self defense because Williams pulled the gun on him. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 4.
In a Wednesday court filing, Dimitri’s attorney, Robert Lewin, claimed prosecutors had insufficient evidence to convict his client of the killing. The case “hinges upon the testimony of one witness, Jaquan Green-Hosey” who changed his story and offered inconsistent statements about what he and Dimitri planned to do, as well as about what happened inside La Torta, Lewin wrote.
Lewin also suggests prosecutors were only speculating as to how Williams had been shot, the motion states. Jaquan told authorities he heard a shot fired as he ran from the restaurant bathroom with the bag of marijuana, and looked back to see Williams on the floor with Dimitri still nearby. Lewin suggested Jaquan told police and prosecutors what they wanted to hear in order to get the 25-year sentence.
Prosecutors have not yet responded to the motion to vacate the verdict, which will likely be considered by Tegeler on Dimitri’s sentencing date.
In something of a technical move, prosecutors dropped the four original counts of murder and armed robbery against Jaquan in order for him to plead guilty to an added murder charge. Jaquan faced a minimum of 56 years in prison if he had been convicted of the initial charges.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News