McHenry man pleads guilty to criminal conspiracy, gets 180 days in jail

A McHenry man admitted last week to possessing more than 5,000 grams of marijuana as part of a criminal conspiracy involving three other people, court records show.

Liam P. Keegan, 22, was sentenced to 180 days in the McHenry County jail and two years of probation, according to the sentencing document signed by Judge Tiffany Davis.

Keegan was initially charged last year with possession of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, a Class X felony that carries up to 30 years in prison upon conviction.

He also was charged with possession of the marijuana, possession of 15 to 100 grams of cocaine, calculated criminal cannabis conspiracy and child endangerment, according to court records.

The child endangerment charge alleged that a 1-year-old child was “present and within reach of large quantities of cocaine and (marijuana),” according to the indictment.

In exchange for his negotiated guilty plea to calculated criminal cannabis conspiracy, the remaining charges were dismissed.

As part of Keegan’s probation, he cannot consume any alcohol or illegal substances, must submit to random urine samples, and was ordered to pay $5,090 in fines and fees, according to the probation order.

Keegan, who has no criminal history, is required to serve half of his jail term and received credit for 15 days he spent in jail following his February 2022 arrest.

He also was ordered not to have any contact with two of the people he was charged with: Michael A. Strauss and Austin T. Hird, both of Spring Grove.

On Feb. 9, 2022, Keegan was arrested with Jade D. McGuire at the McHenry apartment where they lived together. Police seized cocaine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and three firearms from the apartment.

McGuire pleaded guilty in early April to possessing more than 5,000 grams of marijuana and was sentenced to two years of second-chance probation.

As part of her probation, she must complete 30 hours of public service, undergo drug addiction and alcoholism evaluation and comply with all of the evaluation’s recommendations. She also was ordered to attend parenting classes, according to the sentencing order signed by Davis.

Hird, 20, is scheduled for negotiated plea on May 17.

He is charged with possession of and possession with intent to deliver more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, as well as calculated criminal marijuana conspiracy, according to the indictment.

Strauss, 20, was charged with possession of and possession with intent to deliver 15 to 100 grams of cocaine and more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, calculated criminal marijuana conspiracy, possession of psilocybin, and possession of a firearm and ammunition without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card, according to the indictment.

He is due in court next on June 13.

According to a prosecutor’s motion, Strauss admitted to police that the items stored at the McHenry apartment were his.

Keegan’s attorney, William Bligh, declined to comment Tuesday.