Felon with loaded gun who fled deputy in Hebron, crashed his car pleads guilty

A Hampshire man pleaded guilty Tuesday to being a felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm or ammunition and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Timothy Clark, 29, was accused April 12 of possessing a loaded pistol when he drove 90 mph in a 55-mph zone in Hebron, disobeying a McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy’s signals to pull over and then crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot, according to the indictment and prosecutors at a detention hearing in April.

He is required to serve half of his prison term, which will be followed by six months of mandatory supervised release, according to a sentencing order in McHenry County court.

In exchange for his guilty plea, additional counts were dismissed, including aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer while exceeding 21 mph over the limit, three counts of theft of stolen property not exceeding $500 and resisting an officer, according to the judgment order.

Clark had been detained in the county jail since his arrest and will receive credit for 103 days served. He also received credit for another six days, half a day for each of the 13 he spent working, involved in a self-improvement program or volunteering, according to the order.

Authorities said that after a McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy driving a fully marked squad car activated lights and sirens, alerting Clark to pull over, he “accelerated away and routinely” reached speeds of more than 90 mph. After crashing the vehicle, Clark allegedly fled on foot.

Court records show that his criminal history includes a 2013 case in which Clark was convicted of mob action and sentenced to felony probation. The felony conviction restricts him from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Police also said they found Clark to be in possession of a bottle containing 21 800-mg ibuprofen pills, allegedly stolen from a vehicle in Kane County on April 2. Authorities also found surveying equipment allegedly stolen during a theft in Dwight and diabetic equipment allegedly stolen from a vehicle in DeKalb, according to the complaint.