Repeat Bank Robber Who Tried To Shoot Joliet Police Sergeant Awaits Federal Prison Sentence

JOLIET, IL — Victor Barakat, the 51-year-old repeat Illinois and Texas bank robber who pulled out a gun hidden inside his pants pocket as he tried to shoot Joliet Police Sgt. Christopher D'Arcy, is now just a matter of days away from being sent off to the federal prison system for the second time in his life.

In another crime and courthouse exclusive, Joliet Patch is the first news outlet to report that Barakat has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 in downtown Chicago's U.S. District Court by federal judge John Tharp Jr.

The Joliet resident pleaded guilty to two of his three federal charges, bank robbery by intimidation and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Before his arrest for the February 2023 bank robbery, Barakat owned the small used car dealership KB Motors on Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox.

In Thursday's court filing by the U.S. Attorney's Office, federal prosecutors revealed they are seeking a sentence of 270 months of federal penitentiary for Barakat. His federal public defender has asked for a sentence of 240 months.

"In his late twenties, defendant Victor Barakat robbed five different businesses, each time holding up an employee of that business at gunpoint and threatening to shoot them. He was sentenced to 162 total months’ imprisonment for those robberies," argued Chicago-based U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros in Thursday's filing. "Yet, despite spending over a decade of his life, and almost all of his thirties in prison for those violent crimes, on February 8, 2023, defendant, once again, chose to rob two employees of a Fifth Third Bank in Rolling Meadows at gunpoint. Then, when law enforcement came to his door five days later, on February 13, he pulled out that gun in an attempt to harm them.

"Defendant’s history and characteristics and the context of this most-recent bank robbery and arrest demonstrate an urgent need for the sentence to serve as just punishment and promote respect for the law, but above all else, protect the public from further crimes of defendant. Accordingly, the government respectfully requests that the Court impose a sentence of 270 months’ imprisonment."

A CBS Chicago story from 2023 reported Barakat stole $224 from a Fifth Third bank teller, and surveillance video showed he dropped $64 of that on the floor before leaving the bank.

Back in February 2023, several Joliet police converged around the Timber Pointe Drive condominium of the Rolling Meadows bank robbery suspect. As Joliet Police Sgt. Chris D'Arcy and another officer tried to take the New Lenox used car salesman into custody after introducing themselves at his front door, Barakat pulled his semi-automatic pistol out of his pants pocket.

Joliet police body camera video of the dramatic incident showed Barakat's gun click, but the bank robbery suspect did not have a bullet in the chamber.

"The pistol was in his left hand," D'Arcy explained in his police report. "He then turned it towards myself and the other officers. As Barakat did so, I heard the distinct metallic click that I recognized to be a trigger pull. As Barakat swung the gun to his right, I grabbed his left wrist. While I was grabbing his wrist, other officers took control of Barakat. Barakat was taken to the ground.

"Once on the ground, I could see that Barakat's finger was still in the trigger well of the pistol. I was able to wrestle the pistol out of Barakat's grip and threw the pistol away from him."

Federal Public Defender Seeks 240 Months For Barakat

According to this week's filing by the U.S. Public Defender's branch on behalf of Barakat, "he and the government have also agreed to a 240-month floor to his sentence, largely due to the fact that his counts of conviction would have otherwise carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 240 months ... Mr. Barakat does not contest but instead readily admits he committed a very serious offense. It was incredibly dangerous, foolish, and caused actual harm to specific individuals and society generally. The mitigating circumstances center on the fact that this was an offense with an identifiable root cause—Mr. Barakat’s ongoing substance abuse problems and mental health challenges."

The public defender's office further explained how "it is important to note now that Mr. Barakat has a long, difficult history with addiction. This has led him to commit crimes in the past and it has been an awful part of his adult life. But, prior to this offense, there was a notable period of stability. Mr. Barakat had found employment in the used car industry. He was employed by a friend, working hard, and gaining traction; so much so that his friend encouraged Mr. Barakat to open his own dealership and expand further, making an informal promise of any necessary financial support along the way.

"Mr. Barakat took that chance, and the financial support did not materialize. He quickly found himself in significant debt, and with other personal circumstances in his life, fell back into depression, suicidal ideation, and drug use. The point is that there are readily identifiable root causes giving rise to the offense conduct, and if addressed, give hope to the possibility of a better life for Victor."

Barakat Born In Chicago, Raised In The Middle East

According to this week's newly filed federal court records, Victor Barakat was born on May 7, 1975, in Chicago and his parents Victor and Najwa are now 80 years old and reside in McKinney, Texas. His father is a retired business owner and project manager, and his mother was a homemaker and teacher and is now retired as well.

"From ages 10 to 13, he relocated with his family to Amman, Jordan, based on his father’s job. His family next moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for an additional three years. Life in the Middle East was difficult for Victor," court files show.

Barakat's public defenders explained to Judge Tharp how their client "began with marijuana and alcohol, which Victor was using weekly and monthly, and heroin by the age of 19. That was his drug of choice, and Victor has been addicted ever since. He has overdosed on multiple occasions.

"He did experience a period of sobriety for approximately five years from 2014 to 2019. This time period in his life also coincides with his longest period of stable employment. Starting in August 2014, Victor was employed as a salesman at Willowbrook Kia. He remained there until 2019, when he moved on to Cadence Premier Logistics as an over-the-road semi-tractor trailer driver, before returning to car sales in 2021 with Discovery Auto Sales New Lenox. In 2022, Victor formed KB Motors LLC. He did so at the urging of a business partner with whom he worked in the used car industry, and who offered financial support. After Victor took the risk and expense of launching his business, the support did not materialize, and this state of affairs coupled with his heroin use led him to the offense.

"With respect to his history and characteristics, it should also be noted that Victor has struggled with mental health issues, which include past suicide attempts, with Victor even contemplating law-enforcement assisted suicide when he was arrested for the instant offense."

Barakat Also Tried To Disarm Another Joliet Police Officer

As Joliet Patch previously reported, after two Joliet officers had Barakat handcuffed against the back of a squad car back in February 2023, Officer Allen Pina hollered, "My gun!"

"Victor, stop it!" Sgt. D'Arcy announced. "Victor, listen to me."

"My shoulder. My shoulder," Barakat screamed. "You broke my shoulder."

"OK, relax," D'Arcy replied. "Don't be reaching for a cop's gun, you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Stop it. It's all over. Stop it, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you need an ambulance?"

"Yes, my shoulder hurts."

"Okay," D'Arcy responds. "No more of these shenanigans. You understand me?"

"All right."

"Because that's how people get hurt. So knock it off!"

Back at the time of Barakat's Joliet police arrest in February 2023, Will County Judge Fred Harvey set Barakat's bail at $2.5 million. Barakat's address was listed as the 400 block of Timber Pointe Drive in Joliet. In 2021, he lived in Bolingbrook, court records show.

Ever since 2023, Barakat has remained in federal lockup at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on West Van Buren in Chicago. Although the Will County State's Attorney's Office filed attempted murder charges against Barakat for the attempt upon the life of Sgt. D'Arcy and trying to disarm Officer Pena, Barakat's criminal case in Will County has taken a backseat to the federal case. It now appears less likely that Barakat will be tried in Will County, given that he will begin serving his federal prison sentence later this month.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

3 Prior Bank Robberies: Used Car Dealer Served Federal Prison Time

Bank Robbed By New Lenox Car Dealer Who Tried Shooting Joliet Cop: FBI

Bank Robbery Suspect Tries To Shoot Joliet Police Officer: English