Man who violated probation receives prison sentence for 2017 Lake in the Hills sexual abuse, theft

A Wauconda man convicted of sexually abusing a woman and then stealing jewelry from her home was sent to prison Thursday after prosecutors said he violated his probation.

A McHenry County judge sentenced 27-year-old Blake R. Alberts on Thursday to four years in prison for aggravated criminal sexual abuse and theft.

The charges stem from a 2017 case in which Alberts and another man, Eric J. Elwell, were accused of sexually abusing a woman they met at Club 220 North in Lake in the Hills. At the time, the Moretti's in Lake in the Hills transitioned into Club 220 North at night. Altough the pizzeria still remains open, the club has permanently closed.

The woman reported that Elwell held her down while Alberts assaulted her, prosecutors have said.

The men eventually took off with about $500 worth of jewelry from her home, according to criminal complaints filed at the time. Alberts and Elwell each accepted plea deals in connection with the woman’s allegations.

Alberts was sentenced in June 2018 to two years of probation but later was ordered to serve 22 weekends in jail after picking up new charges in Lake County, records show.

In January 2019, Alberts again was arrested and charged with violating an order of protection and sex offender registration requirements, court records show. He was additionally charged in August 2019 with driving under the influence, driving with a revoked license and domestic battery.

Claiming Alberts’ more recent arrests violated his probation, prosecutors in June filed an updated petition seeking to have Alberts resentenced.

Alberts remained in the McHenry County Jail on Friday awaiting transportation to the Illinois Department of Corrections, where he is expected to finish the remainder of his sentence.