Man pleads guilty to threatening to shoot Marengo cop, released with time served

A former McHenry man accused of threatening to shoot two Marengo police officers with their own guns has been sentenced to one day of conditional discharge and jail time served.

Ben Albor, 64, of Waukegan, pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, according to the judgment order filed in McHenry County court and signed by Judge Tiffany Davis. In exchange, an additional count and separate cases were dismissed, according to the order.

According to the complaint against Albor, while being placed under arrest about 8 p.m. Feb. 12, 2023, Albor told one officer that he was “going to take [my] Glock firearm, stick it to [my] head and put a 9 mm bullet through [my] head,” the officer wrote in the criminal complaint. “The threat was made because of the hostility” toward the officer placing him under arrest, according to the complaint.

Albor also was accused of telling another Marengo police officer that “once you let me out of here, I’m going to head-butt you and cause you great bodily harm,” and that “I’m going to stick your 9 mm in your ear, take a round and pop it in your head,” according to the complaint.

Davis sentenced Albor to 156 days in the county jail, but with day-for-day credit and time already in custody, the jail time was considered served, she wrote in the order.

In 2023, Albor was accepted into the McHenry County specialty courts program. Being in this program required Albor to follow several conditions, including meeting with the court’s mental health team and refraining from alcohol and illegal substances.

“In return for the commitment and hard work, not only do the defendants gain access to mental health treatment services and support, which can be life-changing, [but] successful completion of the program often results in case dismissal or a reduction of charges,” according to the court’s website.

Additional charges of making false 911 calls also were dismissed against Albor, according to the order.