Joliet man serving prison sentence for attempted solicitation of murder

A Joliet man has been serving time in prison after he pleaded guilty to attempting to solicit the murder of a confidential informant in a felony gun case filed against him.

The 2019 case against Jay Nink, 36, concluded Dec. 29 with his plea of guilty to an amended charge of attempted solicitation of murder. Nink initially faced more serious charges of solicitation of murder for hire and solicitation of murder.

In 2017, Nink was in the Will County jail in connection with selling five shotguns to an undercover confidential informant, according to a court filing from prosecutors. Nink eventually pleaded guilty to unlawful delivery of a firearm by selling those shotguns to the informant for $700.

Nink ended up in jail after he and 15 other people were arrested in a massive sweep conducted by the Joliet Police Department; the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

During Nink’s time in jail, he approached another inmate and asked him to kill the informant in the 2017 case. Afterward, the inmate told authorities of the incident.

“[Nink] instructed his wife to send pictures of the informant to the inmate’s wife and agreed to pay for the execution. The inmate wore a wire recording the plans,” prosecutors said.

Will County Judge Dave Carlson sentenced Nink to serve 50% of a 20-year prison sentence and credited him with 4½ years already served while incarcerated. In Carlson’s sentencing order, he said he found Nink “guilty but mentally ill.”

Carlson also sentenced Nink to serve 50% of a 15-year prison sentence for the offense of unlawful delivery of a firearm. Nink will serve that sentence concurrently with the sentence he received for attempted solicitation of murder.

Nink’s projected parole date is March 17, 2026, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.