Ottawa man gets 7 years after pleading guilty to firing gun into neighbor’s unit

An Ottawa man pleaded guilty Thursday to firing a gun through his floor – and through his neighbor’s ceiling. Nicholas Snyder is going to prison for seven years.

Snyder, 35, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court for a final pre-trial conference, but attorneys instead announced a negotiated plea.

Snyder pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm. The possession count carried a maximum of 10 years.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to respective prison sentences of seven years and three years, to be served concurrently, and agreed to a finding that Snyder has an alcohol or substance abuse issue. That finding will make Snyder eligible for treatment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Snyder declined an opportunity to address Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. before sentencing.

Snyder was charged April 3 after firing a gun into the floor of his residence and into the lower-level unit. There were no injuries, but Snyder fired additional rounds in close proximity to his children, according to open-court statements. He also had a felony record that prohibited him from owning or possessing a weapon.