Bob Crimo Released After 28 Days Of Good Behavior In Lake County Jail

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The father of the man awaiting trial on charges of murdering seven people and wounding dozens more during last year's Independence Day parade in Highland Park was released Wednesday after serving 28 days in jail for admitting he was reckless when he signed off on his then 19-year-old son's application for a license to buy a gun.

Bob Crimo joined his son in the Lake County Jail last month to begin serving a 60-day sentence he accepted in exchange for pleading guilty to seven counts of reckless conduct, which prosecutors agreed to reduce from felonies to misdemeanor.

Crimo received day-for-day credit for his good behavior during his time behind bars. He also received an additional credit for two days time served associated with his initial arrest.

"The charge he pled guilty to is served at 50% with good behavior," Chris Covelli, deputy chief of the Lake County Sheriff's Office, explained. "That’s not a decision made by the Sheriff."

If he had committed any violations of jail rules or state law, the sheriff's office would have advised prosecutors, who could ask a judge to find he failed to behave himself. There were no violations during Crimo's time in jail, according to Covelli.

As part of Crimo's plea, he must also serve two years of probation, complete 100 hours of community service, give up any guns and surrender his Firearm Owners Identification Card. He also agreed not to sponsor the FOID card applications of any other minors.

Lake County State's Attorney's Office spokesperson Sara Avalos said Crimo "will be monitored by probation, lose all access to firearms, and face consequences for any violation."

Crimo pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, the morning his bench trial was due to begin before Lake County Associate Judge George Strickland. Strickland granted him permission to turn himself in to begin serving his sentence on Nov. 15.

When Crimo showed up to the courthouse in Waukegan to turn himself in clad in a seemingly custom-made white T-shirt with messages about being a "political pawn" on the front and the underlined words "law," "facts" and "reality" on the back, Strickland found it a violation of his decorum order and threatened to hold Crimo in contempt of court if he broke the rules again.

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As he walked out of jail Wednesday morning with the shirt inside-out, he declined to comment to reporters.

Crimo's attorney, George Gomez, previously said his client agreed to plead guilty in part due to concerns over how evidence disclosed at trial could hinder his son's right to receive a fair trial. Strickland had previously ruled that a transcript of the accused gunman's interviews with police could be admissible at his trial.

Following the guilty plea, Gomez said prosecutors appeared to be "pitting Mr. Crimo's family against each other."

On Monday, Crimo's son dismissed his public defender and invoked his right to a speedy trial for the first time. That meant a plan for a February 2025 trial that his court-appointed attorneys and prosecutors had mutually agreed was off the table.

Instead, Lake County Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti scheduled the trial to begin starting Feb. 26, 2024. The 23-year-old accused gunman is now scheduled to act as his own attorney as he faces 21 counts of first degree murder, 48 counts each of attempted murder and aggravated battery.

Crimo's son has been in the maximum security section of the jail since the day after his father pleaded guilty, according to Covelli.

"[Crimo's son] violated the rules in the jail by threatening a correctional officer," Covellis said in an email. "This occurred when he became upset during a random shakedown of his cell, where correctional staff searches the cell for contraband or homemade weapons."

The sheriff's office spokesperson said the alleged mass shooter will be back in his previous cellblock on Jan. 4 if he does not violate any more jail rules.