A 40-year-old Berwyn resident, Joseph Montoro, entered a guilty plea and has been handed a 10-year prison sentence for his involvement in a video gaming theft operation that stretched across multiple Illinois counties, according to Attorney General Kwame Raoul. In proceedings held on Monday, DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Mia S. McPherson delivered Montoro's sentence after his admission to two Class 2 felony counts of burglary.
The case, springing from a referral by the Illinois Gaming Board, tallied over $100,000 in thefts from gaming machines across several counties, including Cook, Champaign, and DuPage. Montoro, alongside four others charged in August 2024, was implicated in a scheme spanning Cook, Champaign, DeWitt, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McLean, Peoria, Tazewell, and Will counties. The investigation that brought Montoro to justice was a collaborative effort, as remarked by Raoul, who said, “This sentence is only possible because of the collaboration between my office, the Illinois Gaming Board and the many law enforcement agencies that participated in this complex investigation.” Legally, the four remaining defendants remain innocent until proven guilty.
Raoul's Statewide Grand Jury Bureau, with the mandate to handle multi-county cases involving electronics, among other crimes, has been actively prosecuting such complex criminal enterprises. Bureau Chief Gregg Gansmann is at the forefront, prosecuting the cases within Raoul's bureau. The agency prides itself on intricate investigative work, partnering with various state and federal bodies to dismantle organized crime that affects the community.
This case stands as a testament to the interconnected nature of criminal activity in the digital age, where the lines between countries are blurred in the wake of broader, more sophisticated schemes. As the case against the remaining defendants progresses, Raoul's promise to sustain the partnerships fostering these kinds of investigative successes will remain crucial. "I look forward to continuing these partnerships that hold offenders accountable for engaging in criminal enterprises that span multiple jurisdictions," Raoul emphasized in a statement obtained by the Illinois Attorney General's office.
