A Joliet man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for a 2020 drive-by shooting in Boulder Hill that left two people dead.

Jaquarance Handley, 36, entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder and agreed to the 35-year prison sentence, according to a news release by the Kendall County State’s Attorney Office.

Before Handley entered the plea deal, the case had been set for trial this month, according to the release.

James Brown Jr., Handley’s accomplice, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year after a jury convicted him of personally discharging an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle into the home of Cassandra and Changina Chatman. Both individuals were killed in their home Nov. 11, 2020.

“Video evidence showed Handley picking Brown up from his residence in North Aurora, driving to the Boulder Hill community, Brown committing the heinous acts, and Handley driving back to North Aurora,” according to the state’s attorney office.

Handley and Brown were apprehended within hours of the shooting by the Kendall County Major Crimes Task Force and the Aurora Police Department, according to the release.

“After convicting Brown of the murders, we turned our attention to holding Handley accountable for this senseless act of violence,” Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said in the release.

“My hope is to send a message to those that wish to commit acts of violence. If you do it in Kendall County, you will face justice, and long prison sentences will be your reward. My office will not tolerate this in our neighborhoods,” Weis said.

The state’s attorney office thanked the officers involved in the case as well as criminal chief Frank Gorup and Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Phelps, who prosecuted the cases against Handley and Brown, according to the release.

Handley was represented by Jerry King and Marisa Bondi of Joliet.

Handley will have to serve the entirety of his 35-year sentence and then an additional three years of mandatory supervised release, according to the release.