Streator man charged in burglary ring that spanned 22 counties

Five Illinois men, including a man from Streator, were charged for their alleged participation in a burglary ring that spanned several Illinois counties, ranging from the Chicago area to Central Illinois, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.

John Friedrich, 35, of Streator was charged with one count of theft between $10,000 and $100,000, a Class 2 felony; one count of money laundering, a Class 3 felony; and six counts of burglary, Class 2 felonies.

The public is encouraged to contact local law enforcement if anyone knows Friedrich’s whereabouts, according to the attorney general’s office.

Others charged are Joseph Montoro, 39 of Berwyn; Sebastian Perez, 41 of Chicago; Jacob Sickel, 20 of Brookfield; and Don Wiley, 53 of University Park, for an alleged string of 22 burglaries in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Champaign, Lake, Tazewell, DeWitt, Peoria, Kankakee, McLean and Will counties.

“The thefts allegedly committed by this burglary ring impacted dozens of businesses and counties, targeting gas stations, bars and small video gaming machine parlors,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release. “These arrests are the result of countless hours of investigative work and close collaborations between my office and several law enforcement agencies. I would like to thank the Illinois Gaming Board and the agencies that participated in this complex investigation. I look forward to continuing similar partnerships that help us hold criminals accountable across jurisdictions.”

The Attorney General’s investigation and prosecution of the burglary ring is based on a referral from the Illinois Gaming Board.

“The (gaming board) was pleased to partner with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies in dismantling this video gaming burglary ring and bringing these criminals to justice,” said IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter in a news release. “The IGB will continue working with our state and local partners on criminal investigations statewide to ensure and uphold the integrity and safety of gaming in Illinois.”

Raoul’s office collaborated with dozens of local law enforcement agencies in the 22 affected counties throughout the course of the investigation. According to the Attorney General’s office, from January to November 2023 the men worked together to steal more than $100,000 from video gaming machines in Cook, the collar and Central Illinois counties. All the defendants, except for Friedrich, are awaiting their first appearance in DuPage County.