Crime & Safety
Wanted Man Sentenced To 21 Years For Gun Crimes In Lake County
The North Chicago man who skipped out on the last day of his trial decided against showing up for his sentencing Thursday, authorities said.
WAUKEGAN, IL — The North Chicago man who has been wanted since he failed to show up to court to hear the verdict in his trial was sentenced in absentia Wednesday to 21 years in state prison.
Once he is apprehended, at least 85 percent of the sentence — nearly 18 years — must be served behind bars, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.
On Aug. 4, a Lake County jury found Giovanni Smith, 33, guilty of armed habitual criminal and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
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Smith, a previously convicted felon who had been out on bail during his trial after posting the $5,000 cash portion of his bond, skipped out on the third day of court.
Lake County Circuit Judge Patricia Fix sentenced Smith to a longer term in state prison than had been requested by the prosecutors from the office of Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart.
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Assistant State’s Attorney Ruth Lofthouse sought a 20-year sentence, according to the state's attorney's office.
The offense of armed habitual criminal is a class X felony that can carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Additionally, in Smith's case, a class 2 felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon can carry an additional sentence of up to 14 years, bringing the combined maximum sentence he could have faced at Thursday's hearing to 44 years.
Related: Man Wanted For Skipping Out On Jury Verdict In Lake County Trial
The convictions stem from a July 4, 2021, arrest in North Chicago, according to prosecutors. Officers dispatched to a 911 call about a person jumping out of a car and chasing another person down the road found Smith driving a car while in illegal possession of a gun.
Smith has been convicted of multiple felonies dating back to his teenage years. Most recently, he served a portion of a two-and-a-half-year state prison sentence following a guilty plea to a 2019 unlawful restraint charge.
In that case, records show Lake County prosecutors dropped two counts of domestic battery and one of aggravated battery to a pregnant woman.
Related: Wanted Gang Member Arrested On Charges Of Beating Pregnant Woman
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