Kane County prosecutors saw a slight increase in the number of filings for serious crimes during 2016, the first uptick in that category in nearly a decade.
In discussing his office’s annual report during a press briefing this week, Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon offered his perspective on the state of serious crime in the county.
“A one-year change doesn’t create a trend,” McMahon said of the 2,258 felony cases initiated in 2016.
That figure represents a bump of about 160 felonies compared to 2015, but still remains considerably below the nearly 3,200 felony cases filed in 2010. Holding close to recent yearly totals, the county reported 11 murders in 2016 after seeing 10 in 2015 and 11 in 2014. In addition to gang-related violence, McMahon mentioned the significance of drug crimes as a constant for prosecutors.
“We’re seeing really significant drug seizures … larger quantities of very serious drugs coming into the community and being seized in the community,” McMahon said. “Drugs continue to be a significant issue.”
McMahon, who won a second full term in November, described Kane County as “somewhat the epicenter of this drug and gang activity” because of its proximity to Chicago and with two major interstates cutting across its boundaries. He credited county law enforcement and his staff for their work in securing convictions and significant prison sentences in drug trafficking cases.
In particular, McMahon highlighted the 20 years in prison given to Jesus Montes, of Aurora, who was busted with 16 kilograms of cocaine valued at $1.6 million, as well as $200,000 in cash. Another Auroran, Gerardo Contreras-Gonzalez, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for possessing large amounts of cocaine, marijuana and crystal methamphetamine. Yet another Aurora man, Modesto Alarcon, was convicted in 2016 for possession and distribution of nine kilograms of heroin. Alarcon awaits sentencing later this month.
Other annual report details include:
* The state’s attorney’s office collected $27.3 million in child support cases, an increase of $1.5 million from 2015 and a little more than double what the office collected in 2006.
* McMahon said the number of child sex offense cases as a whole stood out to him, especially those involving people in positions of authority such as teachers. Last year, three men who served roles in local high schools were sent to prison for having sexual contact with teens they oversaw.
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“We have prosecuted those cases aggressively … yet we continue to see these cases come into the system,” McMahon said.
* In a similar realm, McMahon praised the collective efforts of local and federal law enforcement to combat sexual exploitation of children. Five men were convicted and sentenced to prison last year for traveling to Kane County to have sex with a minor.
* Aurora police led the county in the number of felony calls to the state’s attorney’s office in 2016, followed by Elgin. The two cities combined for more than half of the 2,629 screenings of felony investigations conducted by prosecutors.
The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office 2016 annual report is available at http://saopublic.co.kane.il.us/Reports/2016.SAO.annual.report.pdf.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News