Man already in prison pleads guilty to stealing computers from Cary shop: ‘They cleaned out the store’

A Chicago man currently in prison for a burglary in Cook County pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing computers from a Cary shop in 2020 and was sentence to another 8½ years in prison.

David A. Smith, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, a Class 2 felony, according to the judgment order filed in the McHenry County court. In exchange for his guilty plea, additional counts were dismissed, including theft of more than $500, unlawful possession of burglary tools and criminal damage to property, according to the indictment.

Smith also is ordered to pay $11,114 in restitution to Cary-Grove Computers. He is required to serve half his sentence, which will be followed by one year of mandatory supervised release. He will receive credit for time in custody of 1,469 days, the judgment order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt said.

Smith has been in custody at the Dixon Correctional Center on the Cook County convictions of burglary and attempted burglary, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. He will serve both sentences concurrently, according to the judgment. Smith has past Cook County convictions for burglary from 2012 and 2014, for which he served prison time, according to IDOC.

Smith was accused of stealing “numerous computers and electronic equipment” from Cary-Grove Computers on Jan. 11, 2020. When arrested, he was found with a crow bar in his possession, “suitable for the use in breaking into a building, vehicle or padlock,” and used the crow bar to break in to the computer shop through a door, according to the indictment.

After committing the burglary in Cary, he executed a similar crime at a restaurant in Chicago, Cary Deputy Chief of Support Services Scott Naydenoff said. Chicago police and someone who was victimized in the Chicago case assisted in providing photos of Smith, “which allowed us to positively identify him and link him to the burglary in Cary,” Naydenoff said.

Chad Koralik has owned the Cary business, which refurbishes and sells computers, since 2015. He said at least 40 laptops and computers were stolen. The items have not been returned, and the incident shut down his business for a “quite a while,” he said.

“They cleaned out the store,” Koralik said. “We had nothing to sell.”

But, he said, the community stepped up to help.

“My community was unbelievable,” he said. “I live in the most wonderful town. Cary has the most wonderful people.”

Many people, including customers and other business owners, called to make sure he was OK and just “showed up.” One customer fixed his door, which was broken with the crow bar during the burglary, for free.

He said he has since stepped up security at his store.