A man has been sentenced to a year in prison after he pleaded guilty to a hate crime for sending offensive statements pertaining to religion to an attorney in Lake in the Hills.
Asim A. Ahmed, 38, of Wheeling, was charged in July 2022 with hate crime and electronic harassment.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Ahmed committed a hate crime on April 30, 2022.
The victim in the case was David B. Franks, who is a criminal defense attorney based in Lake in the Hills and specializes in driving under the influence cases.
Ahmed made statements to Franks electronically with the “intent to harass and offend” him, the complaint said.
The comment was “obscene,” according to a grand jury indictment.
Ahmed was arrested on a warrant and released after posting bond in August 2023.
Court records show Ahmed entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office this week.
He pleaded guilty to one count of hate crime, a Class 4 felony. His misdemeanor charge was dismissed.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt accepted the plea and sentenced Ahmed to one year in prison.