DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that bond was denied yesterday for a recently convicted gunrunner accused of fleeing after cutting off his electronic GPS monitor following his brother’s funeral.
Bruce Berrier, 23, formerly of Villa Park, appeared in Bond Court where Judge Craig Belford ordered he be held without bond.
Berrier has been charged with one count of Indirect criminal contempt of court, one count of escape/violate electronic home monitoring detention program (Class 3 felony), one count of failure to return to a penal institution (Class 3 felony) and one count of criminal damage to government supported property (Class 4 felony.) If found guilty of indirect criminal contempt of court, Illinois statutes allow for indeterminate sentencing in excess of six months in the IDOC, to be determined by the court.
On July 2, 2021, Berrier entered a plea of guilty to one count of gunrunning, a Class 1 felony. On Dec. 14, 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to be served at 75 percent.
On Monday, Jan. 10, while still in custody at the DuPage County Jail awaiting transfer to the IDOC and over the State’s objection, Berrier was granted permission by the Court to attend his brother’s funeral services on Tuesday, Jan. 11. At approximately 8 a.m. on Jan. 11, after being fitted with an electronic GPS monitoring device, Berrier was released from custody from the DuPage County Jail. As per the Court’s order, Berrier was to return to the DuPage County Jail at 2 p.m. the same day. It is alleged that at approximately 1:27 p.m., Berrier cut off his electronic GPS monitoring device.
Shortly after, Berrier’s electronic GPS monitoring device was found by the Elmhurst Police Department. It is further alleged that Berrier failed to return to the DuPage County Jail by 2 p.m. as ordered by the court. Judge Kleeman issued a $150,000 arrest warrant on the criminal damage to government supported property charge.
The following day, Jan. 12, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition for indirect criminal contempt. Subsequently, Judge Reidy issued a no-bond arrest warrant for Berrier. On Jan. 13, Judge Kleeman issued a $500,000 arrest warrant for Berrier on the escape charges. On Jan. 22, Berrier was located at the Jewel Osco in Glendale Heights and taken into custody. The cases against Berrier will be in front of Judge Reidy.
If found guilty, any sentence Berrier receives will be served consecutively to his previously imposed ten-year sentence.
“Thanks to the outstanding work of all the law enforcement agencies involved, Bruce Berrier’s alleged attempt to avoid the consequences of his previous criminal activity was short-lived,” Berlin said. “The quick and peaceful apprehension of a man serving a lengthy sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections for gunrunning sends the message that in DuPage County, we will use every tool at our disposal to not only see to it that justice is served but more importantly, ensure the safety of the public. I thank The U.S. Marshal’s Office, the Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Downers Grove, Berwyn, Cicero and Glendale Heights police departments and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and his office for their collaborative efforts in this case.”
Berrier’s next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14 for arraignment in front of Judge Reidy.
