A judge set bond at $50,000 for the father of accused Highland Park parade shooter who prosecutors say was criminally reckless when he helped his son obtain a gun permit despite red flags.
The Highland Park Police Department arrested Robert Crimo Jr., 58, of Highwood, on Friday.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed seven counts of reckless conduct causing great bodily harm against him.
Crimo Jr. is the father of 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III, who currently faces 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
Prosecutors and Highland Park police officers allege that Crimo Jr. was criminally reckless at the time that he helped his son obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.
Prosecutors said that helping his son obtain a FOID card was a contributing cause to the harm suffered by the murder victims in the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park.
The man’s son, Crimo III, was under 21 when he sought to obtain the FOID card and required his father’s participation in the application process.
Lake County Judge Paul Novak found probable cause for the charges and issued a warrant for Crimo Jr.’s arrest on Thursday.
Crimo Jr. was transported to the Lake County Jail from the Highland Park Police Department and appeared in bond court Saturday morning.
Attorney George Gomez said his client has no criminal history and is a former business owner. He asked the court to release Crimo Jr. on a personal recognizance bond or a low cash bond.
Gomez said Crimo Jr. has $5,000 cash to post for bond if the court imposes a cash bond.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lindsay Hicks asked the court to order Crimo Jr. to surrender his concealed carry license and FOID card, along with any firearms he possesses, as a condition of bond.
Hicks also said she was in agreement with Gomez for a $50,000 bond, meaning $5,000 would need to be posted for Crimo Jr. to be released.
​Lake County Judge Jacquelyn Melius questioned why prosecutors asked for the low bond. Hicks said she believes that amount is enough to secure Crimo Jr.’s return to court.
Melius reduced the bond to $50,000. The original bond on the warrant was $500,000.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart held a press conference Friday afternoon and said that parents are in the best position to decide whether their teenager should have a weapon.
“They are the first line of defense. In this case, that system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son,” Rinehart said.
“He knew what he knew, and he signed the form anyway. This was criminally reckless and a contributing cause to the bodily harm suffered by the victims on July 4,” Rinehart said.
Illinois State Police and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force detailed two past law enforcement encounters with Crimo III.
Crimo III applied for the FOID card in December 2019 after police responded in September 2019 to his residence when he threatened to “kill everyone.”
A “clear and present danger” report was filed with the state police but no one in the family wanted to move forward with a criminal complaint.
Crimo III had also attempted suicide in April 2019, prompting a police response.
Reckless conduct is a Class 4 felony and Crimo Jr. can be sentenced to up to three years in prison, but he could also receive probation.
Federal and local investigators have been combing through “enormous amounts” of digital evidence since the night of July 4, the state’s attorney’s office said.
“Dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel have been working to analyze the digital evidence in this case. Our Cyber Lab personnel were critical partners on the team that helped us uncover the truth of the critical weeks before the FOID was issued,” Rinehart said.
Crimo III is scheduled to appear in court next on January 31 before Judge Victoria Rossetti.
His father’s case has been assigned to Judge James Booras. Crimo Jr. is scheduled to appear in court next on December 22.