28-year-old pleads guilty to stealing 2 vehicles in McHenry County

A 28-year-old man who police said stole two cars earlier this year will serve probation after taking a plea deal Monday.

David O. Harper accepted an offer from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office and pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle and theft.

McHenry County Judge James Cowlin sentenced Harper to two years of probation, part of which he will serve in a recovery center.

McHenry and Johnsburg police arrested Harper on three separate occasions in July, according to criminal complaints filed in McHenry County court.

Harper was accused of stealing a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix on July 3 and a 2001 Nissan Maxima on July 12.

He pleaded guilty to the charges, along with claims that on July 12, he entered a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu that was parked in McHenry Township, according to a complaint.

Harper, who is homeless, is required to stay at a Chicago recovery center until he finds a permanent home. He also will be subject to random drug and alcohol tests, and must pay back the victim of the theft charge.

In April, Cowlin sentenced Harper to a kind of probation reserved for first-time drug offenders, public records show.

Harper had pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance less than two weeks after his arrest. If he had completed the sentence without committing another crime, he could have sought to remove the charge from his record.