Accessory suspect in Peru shooting held on new drug charge

One of the suspects in a non-fatal shooting in Peru now faces on a drug-dealing charge and was ordered held on $1 million bond.

Christopher Biederstedt, 21, of Mendota, appeared Monday before a La Salle County judge and asked for his bond to be lowered to $300,000; but Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia stood firm on bond and gave Biederstedt a Thursday, Aug. 13, court date on his new charge. He needs to post $100,000 in cash to be released.

Biederstedt is alleged to have delivered 20 Adderall pills during a controlled buy July 16 in Mendota, resulting in a charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. He was picked up on a warrant Friday evening in Peru.

The charge a Class 2 felony carrying 3-7 years in prison. However, Biederstedt was out on bond awaiting trial for an obstructing justice charge (1-3 years) in connection with the Nov. 26 shooting at the Tou-Rest Motel in Peru, during which a woman was shot and injured. Biederstedt is not alleged to have fired the shot; instead, prosecutors alleged he furnished police with false information.

The drug charge compounds Biederstedt’s legal problems and, potentially, his sentencing range. While he’s eligible for probation on both the obstruction and the Adderall charges, Biederstedt could also be required to serve any resulting sentences back to back for an aggregate sentencing range of 4-10 years.

Biederstedt and two others were initially scheduled for trial in April for their respective charges in connection with the shooting (albeit before separate judges), but the trials were put on indefinite hold.

Biederstedt and his 22-year-old brother, Quinton, who’s also charged with obstructing justice, will appear Aug. 6 for a motions hearing ahead of an Aug. 17 trial. Whether Christopher Biederstedt stands trial that day following the drug charge is uncertain.

The following week, 19-year-old Mariano Verucchi appears for a status hearing Aug. 13 on two firearm charges stemming from the shooting investigation. Verucchi could face 2-5 years in prison if convicted of possessing a firearm without a FOID or, alternatively, 1-3 years for possession of a firearm, which was prohibited because of a juvenile offense.