Jim Glasgow And His Plea Bargains: Joliet Patch Examines Several High-Profile Crimes You'll Remember

JOLIET, IL — This week, for the first time in two years, Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow held a press conference, drawing attention to a $5,000 reward being offered for information leading police to the person responsible for a series of mysterious dog deaths in Crete Township. On the other hand, Glasgow has not held any press conferences to discuss many of the plea bargains he and his top prosecutors have signed off on over the past couple years.

In hopes of giving you a better understanding of how the Will County State's Attorney's Office's plea bargain system has operated under Glasgow's leadership, Joliet Patch has assembled the following cases that all resulted in plea bargain agreements to avoid going to trial since 2024.

William Vera

August 2025

After spending the past six years and five months in the Will County Jail reflecting on his actions that ended the life of his 87-year-old grandmother — a fire that led to her death at their Plainfield-area home on Glacier Drive — Joliet arsonist William Vera pleaded guilty to her first-degree murder last August.

Prosecutors at the Will County State's Attorney's Office told Patch that Vera was found guilty but mentally ill, and his total sentence was set at 23 years. The Joliet fire Vera was accused of intentionally setting caused more than $100,000 in damage to the house and the elderly woman's death.

The sentencing order shows that Vera will serve his 23-year prison sentence at 100 percent, meaning there is no day for day or good credit time at all. However, Vera does receive credit for time already served, and that's a lot, totaling 2,338 days inside Will County's Jail.

August 14, 2025 Joliet Patch article: Man Killed His Own Grandma: Joliet Arsonist Learns Sentence 6 Years Later

Dartavious Payton

May 2025

Five years and one month after Dartavius Payton used his gun to end the life of 20-year-old Todd Taylor in the victim's east side of Joliet driveway, the 29-year-old Will County Jail inmate walked into Will County Courtroom 404 as Payton's three charges of first-degree murder were being dropped, as was his other felony count of being a felon in possession of a gun. In exchange, Payton pleaded guilty to the reduced crime of second-degree murder.

Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius sentenced Payton to 18 years at the Illinois Department of Corrections and gave him credit for time already served, which was 1,791 days in the Will County Jail. Payton had remained in the Will County Jail since July 5, 2020.

A Lockport resident, Payton was represented by criminal defense attorneys Jeff Tomczak and Anna Rose Bertani of The Tomczak Law Group. "The nature of the second-degree plea is that really this was a gun fight, because that's what this was, we believe," Tomczak told Joliet Patch's editor after the sentencing.

Plea Bargain For Joliet Killer Leaves Tomczak Law Group Pleased With His Sentence

Denise O'Malley

December 2025

Will County Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre agreed to sentence Denise O'Malley, 60, to six years at the Illinois Department of Corrections in connection with the near-fatal shooting of her husband John O'Malley at the family's home in the Plainfield area as he watched a Chicago Bears game on TV.

Following the late morning plea and sentencing, Denise O'Malley was escorted away from Will County Courtroom 502 by sheriff's deputies. But she would only be in custody for two or three days, one of her lawyers, Jeff Tomczak, told Joliet Patch afterward.

Denise O'Malley pleaded guilty to a Class X felony of aggravated battery involving a gun. Her three other charges, including attempted murder, were dismissed by the Will County State's Attorney's Office under the plea agreement.

Denise O'Malley was given credit for the 73 days she previously spent in the Will County Jail more than five years ago. She also received credit for the past 1,828 days she spent on home confinement and under electronic monitoring. Because of those factors, Tomczak explained that his client only needed to be sent to the women's prison in Logan for inmate processing and she would return to Joliet, likely in two or three days.

"I will go along with the negotiations and Mrs. O'Malley, with a little bit of heavy heart, it is the holiday season," Judge Colon said. "We're all human, and life can get hard and hit us in a way we need help. Your relentless efforts to treat your mental health issues ... unfortunately, the love of your life had to bear the brunt of the serious breakdown of your mental health ... by the grace of God, he was kept alive."

Chicago Bears Fan Shot By His Wife 'Still Loves Denise Very Much': Former Nurse Learns Her Sentence

Bobby Brandolino

October 2025

Shorewood music store owner Robert "Bobby" Brandolino was released on Halloween 2024 from the Will County Jail, where he was kept in connection with allegations he attacked and pistol whipped a woman inside his Shorewood home with a loaded gun. With the help of private defense lawyer George Lenard, Brandolino reached a plea bargain and was sentenced by Will County Judge Tom Slazyk.

Brandolino pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor domestic battery crime. Originally, the Will County State's Attorney's Office charged Brandolino with seven crimes: aggravated domestic battery, four counts of domestic battery and two counts of aggravated assault.

As for Brandolino's sentence, he was given 24 months of probation, assessed court costs of $702 and probation fees of $1,200. Brandolino would not serve any additional jail time in connection with his crime. He spent two days in the Will County Jail last year, from Oct. 30 to 31, 2024.

According to his probation order, Brandolino was to complete a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow all recommendations. He was ordered to continue with his mental health therapy. Brandolino's six other charges were dismissed under his plea agreement, and the probation order makes mention of the divorce filing involving Brandolino and his victim.

Maureen Pulaski

August 2025

A member of the Joliet West High School administration, Maureen K. Pulaski, pleaded guilty to multiple crimes of retail shoplifting from the Target store in Shorewood along Route 59.

Will County court documents indicate that the Shorewood Police Department arrested Pulaski, 47, back on March 16, 2024, at the Shorewood Target store. The criminal complaint indicated.that Pulaski was charged with four separate counts of retail theft, with all four shoplifting events taking place inside the Shorewood Target store, on Feb. 11, 2024, Feb. 19, 2024, Feb. 24, 2024 and March 9, 2024.

The Shorewood woman holds a supervisory position within the administration at Joliet West High School, where she serves as the Academy Coordinator for freshman academy, according to the District 204 website.

As part of her plea bargain, with the Will County State's Attorney's Office, the Joliet West High School administrator pleaded guilty to her first two counts of retail theft.

According to her sentencing order, Pulaski was not taken into custody or incarcerated in connection with her crimes. Will County Judge Shenonda Tisdale sentenced Pulaski to 18 months of court supervision plus fines, fees and costs totaling $619. Additionally, Pulaski was ordered to pay $320.82 in restitution by June 9, 2026, "for the benefit or use of Target at 1111 Brookforest Ave. in Shorewood."

As another condition of her sentence, Pulaski was ordered by the Will County judge to have no contact with the Target store in Shorewood at 1111 Brookforest Ave.

Joliet West HS Academy Coordinator Pleads Guilty To Shoplifting At Shorewood Target Store

John Claude Novak

August 2025

John Claude Novak, the 30-year-old man from Crest Hill who has victimized multiple pregnant women inside Joliet's retail stores by rubbing their bellies, has pleaded guilty to his latest crime, an incident that happened inside the Joliet Walmart on West Jefferson Street.

Novak's latest plea bargain with the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow resulted in a felony aggravated battery conviction for Novak, who was 27 at the time of his Joliet police arrest three years ago.

According to his criminal complaint, Novak visited the Joliet Walmart on Oct. 23, 2022, approached the pregnant woman and "kneeled down in front of (the woman), who was visibly pregnant, and rubbed her belly with both of his hands and he moaned as if experiencing pleasure."

Glasgow's office charged Novak with two counts of aggravated battery and one crime of disorderly conduct. Novak pleaded guilty to his first count of aggravated battery and his other charges were dismissed.

Novak received two years of probation for his felony aggravated battery conviction. He must pay $904 in court costs and $1,200 in probation fees. There was no jail time ordered as part of his sentence, and Novak did not spend any time incarcerated for his crime, his court records from sentencing reflect.

Tummy Toucher Of Pregnant Women Pleads Guilty, No Jail Ordered For Joliet Repeat Offender

Kayla Patton

April 2026

After spending the past 13 months in the Will County Jail, Joliet resident Kayla Patton found herself serving out her prison sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections' Logan Correctional Center, the women's prison.

Patton had a total of six pending criminal cases at the Will County Courthouse, all from 2023, 2024 and 2025.

At the end of February, the 37-year-old Joliet woman from the 300 block of Louis Road, over in Preston Heights, entered guilty pleas for three of her cases: 2023CF494, 2023CF864 and 2025CF360. In exchange for those guilty pleas, the Will County State's Attorney's Office agreed to dismiss Patton's three other pending criminal cases: 2023CF1540, 2025CF116 and 2024CM89.

Patton's plea bargain and sentencing went before Will County Judge John Connor, court files show. According to one of her sentencing orders, Patton pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of controlled substances and she received a three-year prison term to serve at 50 percent. She was also given credit for 527 days already served in the Will County Jail while awaiting trial.

The Illinois Department of Corrections inmate profile shows that Patton was sentenced four years and 11 months for one of her 2025 Will County felony drug cases and four years and 11 months for her Will County burglary crime from 2023.

Joliet's Kayla Patton Serving Prison Time At Logan Correctional Center After Plea Bargain Resolves 6 Cases

Jerry Leon Patton

May 2024

After spending 14 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections, serving out a four-year prison sentence at the Vandalia Correctional Center, Joliet native Jerry Leon Patton III returned to the area, resettling in the little town of Rockdale, after receiving parole.

In May 2024, Joliet Patch reported that Patton, who was arrested by Joliet police in two different violent barroom attacks, worked out his plea agreement with the Will County State's Attorney's Office that netted Patton a four-year prison sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections. The prison sentence was to be served at 50 percent, and Patton also received credit for some of the time he had already spent in the Will County Jail awaiting trial.

Then, late last summer, the Illinois Department of Corrections sent out a notice to the Will County Courthouse advising that Patton had a projected prison release date within 15 days. Patton was originally supposed to stay in prison at Vandalia until Feb. 1, 2026; however, the state's prison system granted Patton parole and discharged him from the downstate penitentiary on Aug. 1. Patton was admitted as a prisoner on June 1, 2024.

In late May 2024, Patton went to prison for the following crimes: a 2022 aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, a 2024 felon in possession of a dangerous weapon/firearm, another 2022 aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and a 2023 aggravated assault while operating a motor vehicle.

Joliet's Jerry Patton III Paroled From Illinois Department of Corrections, Moves Down To Rockdale

Ted Brodeur

February 2026

Ted Brodeur, the former high-ranking Joliet Park District official who was investigated for allegations of embezzlement of funds from the Joliet-based Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization of Will and Grundy Counties, pleaded guilty to felony theft at the Will County Courthouse.

According to the criminal complaint, Brodeur stole somewhere between $10,000 and $100,000 between Jan. 1, 2022 and Dec. 19, 2023.

Will County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Cavera told Joliet Patch that Brodeur was ordered to repay $40,000 in total restitution as part of his sentence. Brodeur had to repay $20,000 at the time of his guilty plea and sentencing and he must repay the remaining $20,000 when his court supervision ends two years from now.

Brodeur was sentenced by Will County Judge John Connor to 24 months of court probation. Cavera said that the $40,000 in restitution is approximately the amount that Will County Sheriff's Office detectives believe they could prove that Brodeur stole from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. When asked by Joliet Patch if he believes that Brodeur may have stolen more, perhaps a lot more, than the $40,000 figure, Cavera had this response.

"I think Ted Brodeur knows the true amount that was taken. Essentially, around $40,000 is what we can definitely prove."

Matt Pehle

April 2026

Three years after a Will County grand jury returned a criminal indictment of eight felonies against former Joliet Park District finance director Matt Pehle, the ex-public official worked out a plea bargain with the prosecutors and received a lenient sentence under the arrangement.

On April 16, Pehle returned to the Will County Courthouse along with his lawyer Neil Patel. His guilty plea and sentencing were handled by Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius.

All of Pehle's eight felony charges were dismissed. Pehle entered a guilty plea to one misdemeanor theft. He does not have to serve any jail time under the sentencing terms.

The Joliet resident was given 24 months of conditional discharge and was ordered to repay the full restitution.

Patel told Joliet Patch that his client was ordered to repay $42,102, "and he paid that today." Besides Patel, downtown Joliet attorney Todd Polito represented Pehle in his embezzlement case over the years.

"Today represents the conclusion of a very long ordeal in Mr. Pehle's life," Patel remarked. "This case was investigated for some time, and charges were not filed until 2023. This is a fair way to resolve this case, and Mr. Pehle and his family are glad to move on with their lives."

Back in May of 2023 —nearly two-and-a-half years after the Joliet Police Department launched an embezzlement investigation at the Joliet Park District — Pehle was indicted by a grand jury on eight felony charges of continuing financial crimes enterprises.

Pehle was hired by the Joliet Park District on March 27, 2013, as its chief financial officer by then-executive director Dominic Egizio Jr. Pehle oversaw the Joliet Park District's finances from April 2013 until he left in December 2019.

After Stealing Thousands From Joliet Park District, Ex-Finance Director Matt Pehle Pleads Guilty

Robin Rodriguez

March 2026

For the past eight years, downtown Joliet criminal defense Chuck Bretz has made courtroom appearance after appearance, prolonging the embezzlement case for Robin Rodriguez, the Joliet woman who stole at least $1.5 million from her employer, Tepa Landscaping, according to the Will County Sheriff's investigation from 2018.

But in recent days, Rodriguez returned to the Will County Courthouse to bring her criminal case to a close in front of Will County Judge Fred Harvey. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to felony theft and received 48 months of court probation. She was ordered to serve 180 days in jail, but that's a technicality. The sentence order explains that she will be credited for 649 days of time already served under house arrest.

"Jail sentence portion satisfied," Judge Harvey's order reads.

Rodriguez was ordered to pay $3,780 in court costs and a probation fee of $50 per month and restitution of $218,000.

Accused of Embezzling $1.5 Million From Joliet Landscaping Firm, Robin Rodriguez Learns Her Sentence

Christine Brown

March 2026

Joliet resident Christine Brown, the former business manager at the Timbers of Shorewood along River Road, was sentenced by Will County Judge Amy Christiansen to second chance probation. Brown's sentencing order puts her on 24 months of court probation for her felony crime of theft. Brown was ordered pay court costs of $839 and restitution of $3,500 — Joliet Patch previously reported that Brown stole more than $100,000 in funds from Timbers of Shorewood.

The sentencing order indicates Brown will perform no less than 30 hours of community service work. She was also credited with serving no jail time but does not have to serve a single day of jail time as a result of her guilty plea and sentence.

In May 2023, Brown was indicted by a Will County grand jury on two felony crimes of theft from the Shorewood assisted living facility located at 1100 River Road. Count 1 stated that Brown obtained or exerted unauthorized control over Timber of Shorewood's payroll proceeds, and the value exceeded $100,000 but did not exceed $500,000.

Back in 2023, Shorewood's Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten was asked by Joliet Patch about how much money the Shorewood Police Department determined was taken by Brown during her time as the business manager of Timber of Shorewood. "It was in excess of $100,000 but considerably less than $500,000," he answered.

Fired By Timbers Of Shorewood: Ex-Business Manager Learns Sentence, Restitution From Judge Amy Christiansen

Bob Hernandez

February 2025

Nearly an entire year after Bob Hernandez was wheeled in and out of the Will County Courthouse and released from the Will County Jail because of a variety of medical ailments, Hernandez arrived at the courthouse without a wheelchair and without the use of a cane.

Prosecutor Erin Krone informed the judge that a plea agreement was reached: Hernandez agreed to plead guilty to one felony crime of possession of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, stemming from his January 2024 arrest by the Joliet police force. Hernandez's subsequent arrest by the Joliet police on Feb. 14, 2024, resulted in a second crack cocaine charge for Hernandez, but that charge was being dismissed under his plea bargain.

In addition to that, Hernandez pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor crime, violation of a stalking order, because of his continued efforts to drive past the home of Valerie Terlep even though the mother had obtained an order of protection to keep Hernandez away from her teenage children.

Hernandez was served with that protection order after his first arrest by Joliet police in January 2024, yet he chose to violate that order anyway, the prosecutor told Judge Connor at the sentencing.

In all, Hernandez was sentenced to 24 months of probation by the judge and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service. He must undergo further substance evaluations and drug testing. He was given fines and court costs totaling $2,670 for the felony drug conviction.

Hernandez was also notified he must stay away from Valerie Terlep and her teenage children as well as their house on Joliet's west side.

Bob Hernandez Pleads Guilty To Cocaine, Stalking, Learns His Sentence

July 2025

Jacoby Hamilton

Reckless homicide defendant Jacoby Hamilton, 19, pleaded guilty in a crash that took the lives of a Joliet husband and wife in February 2024. The 19-year-old accelerated through the red light in the middle of the night without headlights, fatally striking married couple Walter Kretzler, 65, and Roxane Holt, 59. Joliet Patch reported that Hamilton was traveling 66 mph in a 35-mph speed limit zone, according to the Joliet police investigation into the Feb. 18, 2024, traffic deaths.

According to the guilty plea, the Will County State's Attorney's Office obtained one reckless homicide conviction from Hamilton and that will result in a four-year prison sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections, but Hamilton's sentence will be served at 50 percent.

Hamilton was paroled on Feb. 19 from the Robinson Correctional Center, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Joliet Patch previously reported that:

• At 2:06 a.m., a Joliet police officer on routine overnight patrol discovered the crash, moments after it happened at Black Road and Infantry Drive on Feb. 18.
• Hamilton was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, and his Tahoe collided with a 2007 Trailblazer on the driver's side door.
• The Trailblazer's occupants, Kretzler and Holt, were trapped inside and died instantly.
• Meanwhile, police say Joliet officer Jorge Trujillo saw Hamilton running from the driver's side door of his wrecked Chevrolet Tahoe, and his passenger also ran off and got away. According to prosecutors, Hamilton ran west, through the Busey Bank parking lot, where the Joliet officer pulled alongside him and ordered him to stop. Hamilton, then changed directions, trying to run southeast through the bank parking lot, heading east on Black Road, before Hamilton stopped and gave himself up at 733 Apollo Drive.
• "Officer Trujillo asked Jacoby Hamilton why he crashed and defendant indicated his brakes didn't stop."