A Marseilles man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for possessing a stolen gun.
Joseph M. Czerekaviczius, 30, had previously entered into a blind plea in La Salle County Circuit Court for one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.
The controlling charge is possession of a stolen firearm, a Class 2 felony carrying a sentencing range of three to seven years in prison.
He was charged after a Marseilles resident reported that a .45-caliber Glock was stolen from his truck July 21, 2023.
Police later were alerted to a Marseilles resident who said he let Czerekaviczius stay at his place and saw him with a .45-caliber pistol. A search warrant of the residence yielded the gun along with personal items belonging to Czerekaviczius.
He was scheduled for sentencing Tuesday. However, attorneys announced an agreed-upon sentence. Czerekaviczius was sentenced to three years for each felony. The prison terms will run concurrently, and he will receive about four months of credit for time served.
Additionally, Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. entered a finding that Czerekaviczius acted in part because of issues with alcohol and drugs. That finding enables Czerekaviczius to receive treatment while in the Department of Corrections.
Czerekaviczius, who declined to address the judge before sentencing, could be eligible for parole in early 2027.

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