Records: Inmate charged with soliciting murder had sought informant's identity in 2017 case

A Will County jail inmate charged with conspiring with another inmate to have an informant killed had requested the disclosure of an informant’s identity in a 2017 criminal case, according to court records.

Jay Nink, 32, of Joliet, was charged last Thursday with plotting with another inmate to kill an informant who would testify against him in a case where Nink faces felony firearm charges, police said.

Nink was among 16 people who were arrested on July 25, 2017, as part of a widespread criminal investigation. He was charged with possessing several shotguns and transferring them to an informant, according to court records.

Nink’s 2017 arrest warrant said he has a tattoo on his right forearm that says “Trample The Weak.” In 2008, Nink pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after stabbing and killing a 19-year-old man.

Nink allegedly talked with the inmate about having an informant killed between May 27 and July 16, according to the criminal complaint. The inmate instead worked with detectives to investigate Nink, who was charged with solicitation of murder, police said.

On Jan. 22, 2018, Nink’s previous attorney, Joel Brown, requested the names and background information on confidential informants in the 2017 case, according to court records. The information was requested for trial.

On Feb. 23, 2018, prosecutors agreed to tender the name of the informant to the defense.

Will County State’s Attorney Carole Cheney said it would not be appropriate for her to answer questions about the identity of an informant when asked if this was the same informant Nink allegedly sought to have killed.

Brown did not return a call Wednesday. Brown withdrew as Nink’s attorney in June 2018 after a “breakdown in communication and cooperation” between him and Nink, according to court records.

Nink is being represented by Paul Napolski. He failed to return calls Wednesday.