Man arrested in McHenry with meth pleads guilty, gets 6 years in prison

A Rockford man arrested in McHenry in 2022 pleaded guilty to unlawful possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine Friday and was sentenced to six years in prison.

After serving his prison term, William J. Conn, 33, will be on mandatory supervised release for 18 months, according to the judgement order in the McHenry County court. He is required to serve half of his prison term and will get credit 77 days spent in the county jail. He also was sentenced to five days in the county jail for direct criminal contempt. On July 8, when he was supposed to enter into the negotiated plea he was under the influence of alcohol, court records show.

“Defendant tested positive for cocaine, alcohol and THC and signed an admission to use for 7/04/24 and advised the court he drank last night,” a court order said.

In exchange for Friday’s guilty plea, additional charges were dismissed, including possession of the methamphetamine and less than 15 grams of cocaine, obstructing justice, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, resisting a police officer and driving while license suspended, according to the indictment.

On Sept. 6, 2022, Conn was driving a blue 2003 Jaguar when police initiated a traffic stop in McHenry. The traffic stop was part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. Conn allegedly possessed 29 grams of methamphetamine and 4.5 grams of cocaine, court records show. Conn also was accused of ignoring “visual or audible” signals to pull over and fleeing. In doing so, he allegedly ran two or more traffic control signals, according to court documents.

He also was accused of then fleeing on foot and throwing a controlled substance in a trash can, according to the indictment. Conn has past felony convictions involving the possession and manufacturing of controlled substances, including a 2017 conviction in Cook County and two 2014 felony convictions in McHenry County, according to a motion.