A Woodstock man was sentenced to 10 years in prison — but will only serve 5 years — for burglarizing a Cary home during which the homeowner confronted the man.
Thomas J. Freeman, 59, who is homeless with a last known address in Woodstock, was indicted on one count of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office reached a negotiated plea deal with Freeman, who pleaded guilty to the residential burglary charge.
Freeman has a previous 1999 residential burglary conviction in McHenry.
McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt sentenced Freeman to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Wilbrandt sentenced the man as a Class X offender due to his previous conviction. He will be required to serve 50% of his 10-year sentence, court documents show.
Freeman broke into a home in the 200 block of Spring Street in Cary on October 31, 2019, according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors said that Freeman stole multiple personal items, including a decorative knife, from the home.
The homeowner confronted Freeman, who then fled the scene, prosecutors said.
Freeman will be required to pay $809 in court fines and fees. He remains held in the McHenry County Jail awaiting transport to a state prison.
The case was investigated by the Cary Police Department and prosecuted by Brian Miller of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.