A northern Macoupin County man will be spending time in the Illinois Department of Corrections for crimes committed across 3 counties earlier this year. 34 year old Joshua R Baker of Virden was sentenced to 5 years in IDOC along with 2 years Mandatory Supervised along with various fines, fees and court costs after pleading guilty to crimes in 2 county courts. Baker plead guilty to a class 4 felony of possession of a controlled substance and driving on a suspended or revoked license in Pike County Court on November 26th. Yesterday, in Morgan County Court he plead guilty to 1 count of felony burglary. Baker’s crime spree began on November 22nd, 2018 when he was cited for driving on a suspended or revoked license in Macoupin County. On January 4th of this year, he was arrested after burglarizing a building in the 2200 block of East Morton Avenue and was released on bond. He was re-arrested in Pike County on February 19th on drug charges in a traffic stop. He was remanded to a facility that offers drug treatment during his sentence.
A Reno, Nevada man who was busted with a large amount of cannabis this fall was sentenced in Morgan County Court yesterday. 41 year old MacDonald Malafu was arrested by Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputies on August 22nd at the Comfort Inn in South Jacksonville after a deputy discovered over 5000 grams of cannabis in a 1999 Dodge Ram pick up truck. Malafu plead guilty to one charge of unlawful possession of cannabis over 5000 grams, a Class 1 Felony. A special Class X felony of unlawful cannabis trafficking and a Class X felony of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver were dropped per the plea. The Class X felonies carried a maximum of 6-60 years in prison and up to a $400,000 fine. Malafu was sentenced on the lesser charge per the plea to 4 years probation, a $5500 county fine, plus fees and court costs. He was also given 3 days credit for time served in county jail.
31 year old Steven T Coats of Concord was sentenced to 30 months concurrent probation along with 180 days in county jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge over several burglaries between 2016 and 2018. Coats was originally sentenced to 2 years probation after pleading guilty to burglaries of 4 separate vehicles along West Morton Avenue and in Concord between March & July of 2016. Coats’ original fines, fees, restitution, and court costs have been reimposed after he was arrested for burglarizing a building on Good Pasture Road in rural Jacksonville on January 25th, 2018. The felony count of felony theft over $500 was added by the state during sentencing, giving Coats a lesser charge.
52 year old Jia A Savage of Springfield was sentenced to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after the court found him guilty of theft over $500, a Class 3 felony and criminal damage to property over $500, a Class 4 felony stemming from a February 18, 2018 attempted theft and burglary and damage to a vehicle on North Johnson Street. Savage was arrested on a bench warrant by Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies on October 9th, 2018. Savage was also sentenced to a $500 fine, $5140.96 in restitution to the victim, as well as fees and court costs.
35 year old Carl B Alexander of the 1000 block of North Clay Avenue plead guilty to one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams. Traffic violations for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving on a suspended or revoked license were dropped per the plea. Alexander was arrested in a traffic stop in the 900 block of Allen on September 4th, 2018 on suspicion of driving while impaired. Alexander was sentenced to 2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 1 year Mandatory Supervised Release, plus fines, fees, and court costs.