A Streator man who set fire to the New Brite Spot in Ottawa in 2023 was sentenced Monday to a pair of four years for violating his probation for arson and for theft.

When offered a chance to speak, 47-year-old John F. Smith asked for another crack at probation. He told Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. that he’d been accepted into treatment for drug and mental health issues and would make the most of any last chance.

“Give me one more shot,” Smith said. “I won’t fail. I’ll do my best.”

But the judge ruled that Smith hadn’t availed himself of previous chances at probation.

“He’s just not doing real well (with probation),” the judge ruled. “He can’t get it done.”

Smith’s current legal problems began April 15, 2023, when firefighters were dispatched to the New Brite Spot and the fire was quickly deemed suspicious. Smith pleaded guilty in La Salle County Circuit Court and was sentenced to reporting probation plus special conditions.

But Smith failed to meet with probation officers, skipped appointments, and flunked a drug test. He was charged with felony retail theft after Streator police seized stolen items, including a crossbow and arrows. He entered a blind plea in October.

At sentencing Monday, assistant public defender Doug Kramarsic said Smith was a much-improved candidate for probation. Kramarsic attributed Smith’s no-shows to a lack of housing and transport, both now resolved, and his mental health and drug abuse were “something probation could help him address.”

But prosecutor Kelley Porter said Smith’s criminal history was dotted with “pretty regular run-ins with the legal system” and “picked up with a bang” when he lit the fire. As for probation, Porter said Smith violated virtually every condition of probation.

“He took the probation order, chewed it up and spit it out,” Porter said, recommending five years.

Smith won’t be in prison long. He has a shot at day-for-day good time and about nine months’ credit for time served. He could be eligible for release in early 2027.