CHICAGO — After a couple years of consistently bad news for Chicago’s bars and restaurants, there’s some good news to report today.
The industry has been slammed by waves of late-night burglaries lately, and CPD has released over a dozen warnings about the problem. But there haven’t been many arrests.
One man who did get arrested for breaking into a bunch of bars in Wrigleyville, though, pleaded guilty this week. He received a six-year sentence.
Tommie Hoskins, 30, burglarized some of the most well-known bars near the Friendly Confines, officials said: Cubby Bear and Nisei Lounge in September 2023 and Sluggers and HVAC last February. The Nisei burglary was caught on video.
He got caught during the Slugger’s break-in. Cops were alerted by a burglar alarm and they arrived in time to see Hoskins walking out of the bar’s side entrance, according to a CPD report. Hoskins allegedly forced his way through a vent to access the business.
The report said he had an iPad, a bag containing “miscellaneous items,” and six wallets containing IDs belonging to women in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois, as well as credit cards, and a Social Security card.
This week, Hoskins pleaded guilty to one count of identity theft and four counts of burglary. Judge Aleksandra Gillespie gave him four concurrent 6-year sentences for the burglaries and a concurrent 5-year term for the ID theft.
His sentence will be reduced to three years with good behavior. He will also receive credit for 354 days he spent on electronic monitoring while the cases were pending.
Original reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click here to support our work.
