Island Lake man on parole for drug-induced homicide charged with obstructing justice in shooting

Joseph W. Crisara III

A 34-year-old Island Lake man on parole for drug-induced homicide in the 2015 death of a Mundelein man was charged with fleeing from a shooting Sunday, taking the alleged shooter and gun with him, court records show.

Joseph W. Crisara III, of the 300 block of Tulip Circle, was charged Thursday with obstruction of justice.

He is accused of knowingly concealing evidence by fleeing the scene of the shooting and removing DNA material, the person who allegedly did the shooting and the firearm in the process, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office charged Juan A. Colon, 26, of Waukegan, with attempted first-degree murder Thursday, alleging that he fired a gun Sunday at the driver’s side of a vehicle, knowing it was occupied, according to the complaint.

Neither of the criminal complaints detail where the shooting happened or whether the charges against Colon and Crisara are connected.

In response to an inquiry Friday about the cases, a McHenry County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said she was working on getting more information.

Crisara also was charged with possession of and possession with the intent to deliver more than 200 grams of psilocybin – the hallucinogenic chemical obtained from certain types of mushrooms – as well as between 2,000 and 5,000 grams of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

The most serious offense – possession with the intent to deliver more than 200 grams of psilocybin – is a Class X felony that, if convicted, typically carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison and is not probational.

Crisara currently is on parole on a drug-induced homicide conviction out of Lake County, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to selling the fatal dose of heroin to 27-year-old Jason Ericksen of Mundelein, who died Dec. 26, 2015.

McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt set Crisara’s bail at $210,000 on Thursday. If released, he’ll need to undergo random drug screenings, the judge ordered.

A follow-up bond hearing before Judge Robert Wilbrandt is scheduled for Monday.

Crisara remained in the McHenry County Jail as of Friday afternoon. A public defender was appointed to represent him in bond matters only, and a private attorney was not listed as of Friday afternoon.