Wonder Lake man failed to register as sex offender during pretrial release in gun, drug case, officials allege

A Wonder Lake man convicted in 2019 of sexual abuse was charged Sunday with violating terms of the sex offender registry during the time he also was on pretrial release for drug and gun charges, according to authorities and official records.

Andrew Winter, 25, of the 3100 block of Greenleaf Drive is charged with two counts of knowingly or willfully giving material information that is false and one count of sex offender registration violation, which are Class 3 felonies according to jail records and McHenry County Judge Carl Metz.

Assistant State’s Attorney Stephan Gregorowicz sought conditions in case of Winter’s release. Assistant Public Defender Gene Wilson argued for Winter’s release, saying he had never missed a court date in previous cases and has a job.

Metz presided over Winter’s initial court appearance Monday and granted Winter’s release from the county jail with conditions including he not leave the county except for going to Lake County and to Kenosha County, Wisconsin, for work. Winter also is required to wear an ankle monitor, refrain from illegal substances and submit to random drug screens.

However, Metz ordered Winter to return to court at 9 a.m. Tuesday for a hearing to revoke Winter’s pretrial release on another case that was filed against him in April.

Winter was charged in April with manufacturing and delivery of one to 15 grams of cocaine and one to 15 grams of fentanyl, which are Class 1 felonies; he also was charged with two counts of violating the sex offender registry for failing to inform the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office of a change of address and providing false information, according to court records. Winter also was charged with unlawful use or possession of weapons or ammunition by a convicted felon, manufacturing and delivery of 30 to 500 grams of marijuana, obstructing justice, and possession of less than 200 grams of Hydrocodone, less than 15 grams of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), eight Suboxone films and drug paraphernalia, according to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

In that case, according to the complaint, on April 4, Winter failed to report his address change from a residence in Hebron to McHenry and allegedly was in possession of a black Nitro Piston air rifle “with the intent to use.” As a convicted felon he is not allowed to be in possession of firearms.

The court documents also allege that Winter, “with the intent to prevent apprehension knowingly destroyed physical evidence [by swallowing] an unknown amount of cocaine.” Winter also is accused of possessing two black scales “with the intent to use them in preparing a controlled substance” for use, according to the complaint.

While Winters was out on pretrial release in this case, prosecutors in June filed a petition to revoke his pretrial release, alleging he had marijuana in his vehicle. They also filed a motion seeking to impose sanctions, alleging he tested positive for cocaine and alcohol in June and for cocaine, alcohol and THC in July, according to the documents in his file.

In the sexual abuse case, in which he was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to prison for three years, Winter was accused of trespassing at a Lake in the Hills home and abusing a woman he knew and who had learning disabilities who could not give consent, according to court records and Northwest Herald reporting from that time. In that case, the original, more serious charge of criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony, was reduced to criminal sexual abuse, a Class 4 felony, to which he pleaded guilty. He also pleaded guilty at that time to an unrelated charge of possessing or receiving a stolen vehicle, court documents show.