Homeless Whiteside County man charged with rape

MORRISON – A former Clinton, Iowa man is in Whiteside County jail, accused of raping a woman in Fulton.

According to court records, Branden M. Landry, also formerly of Rochelle, forced himself on the woman on Sept. 7.

Landry, who has a history of mental illness, was arrested on a warrant for criminal sexual assault on Sept. 19 in Dixon, but he does not live there and is homeless, Fulton Police Chief Nick Neblung said.

The woman was an acquaintance of Landry’s, Neblung said.

Criminal sexual assault carries four to 15 years in prison.

Whiteside County State’s Attorney Terry Costello filed charges on Sept. 19, along with a petition asking the court to keep Landry in custody.

There no longer is a cash bail system in Illinois, so defendants who are charged with a crime for which they can be jailed must have a hearing to determine if they are eligible to be released pending trial.

Landry has a detention hearing and a status hearing on Oct. 27, presumably to give him time to be evaluated.

He has no criminal history in Whiteside County and no felony history in Ogle County, court records show.

He does have misdemeanor convictions in Clinton County, where he pleaded guilty on Aug. 15 to possession of marijuana, and on April 30, 2022, to damaging a squad car and hitting two officers, Iowa court records show.