Crime & Courts

Oswego man gets five years in prison for 2020 fatal DUI crash in southern DeKalb County

SYCAMORE – An Oswego man was recently sentenced to five years in prison after a January 2020 car crash in southern DeKalb County when he drove under the influence of alcohol, his vehicle struck a tree and a man was killed as a result.

According to a Jan. 7 news release from the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office, DeKalb County Judge Philip Montgomery sentenced Dylan A. Wesolowski, 28, of the 700 block of Oxbow Avenue, Oswego, to five years in prison within the Illinois Department of Corrections for the 2020 fatal DUI crash. Montgomery’s ruling came on Jan. 4, according to court records.

Wesolowski’s attorney, Public Defender Tom McCulloch, did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The sentencing comes after Wesolowski pleaded guilty on Oct. 26 for aggravated DUI, Class 2 felony, in the death of Michael Jackson, 43, formerly of Valrico, Florida, according to court records. Prosecutors wrote in the release Jackson had just moved back to Illinois from Florida around the time he was killed.

Before Wesolowski’s guilty plea in October, he previously pleaded not guilty in September 2020, according to court records. Wesolowski also waived his right to a jury trial the same day he pleaded guilty in October.

The maximum sentence for Class 2 felonies in Illinois is up to seven years in prison.

DeKalb County Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Schwertley said in court on Jan. 7 that the night of Jan. 6, 2020, Wesolowski was driving a vehicle north on Somonauk Road near Pratt Road. The vehicle left the road to the right and struck a tree, according to law enforcement.

Jackson, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was ejected from the vehicle and died as a result of his injuries. Wesolowski’s blood-alcohol concentration was 0.141%.

“Unfortunately, despite hundreds of fatal drunken driving crashes every year, too many people still believe they can drive while impaired,” DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato said in the release. “In this case, Mr. Wesolowski’s poor choices left a man dead and a family grieving, and he’ll have several years to sit in prison and think about it. I hope this resolution provides a sense of justice to Mr. Jackson’s family.”

According to Illinois law, Wesolowski must serve at least 85% of the five year sentence. He received credit for two days served in the DeKalb County Jail, prosecutors confirm.

Katie Finlon

Katie Finlon

Katie Finlon covers local government and breaking news for DeKalb County in Illinois. She has covered local government news for Shaw Media since 2018 and has had bylines in Daily Chronicle, Kendall County Record newspapers, Northwest Herald and in public radio over the years.