Man Convicted of Kendall's 1st Sex-Based Hate Crime Back in Jail

An Aurora man convicted of the first ever sex-based hate crime brought by Kendall County prosecutors is back behind bars.

Ex-convict Marquitte West was charged this time with stealing electronics from a Homer Glen Meijer and violating his parole.

West, 22, just got out of prison 13 months ago after doing time for a Kendall County robbery. He was sentenced to the penitentiary before that for the brutal beating of a gay Oswego man in 2011.

Bryce Stiff, now 33, was attacked by a group of men but Stiff said West was the ringleader. Stiff said West offered the other men $20 to attack him.

West’s brother was friends with Stiff and West knew he was gay.

“To the best of my recollection, this is the first hate crime we’ve prosecuted based on sexual orientation,” Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said at the time of West’s Nov. 11 sentencing.

West remains in custody at the Will County jail.