Felon gets 5 years in prison for having handgun

A Hampshire man pleaded guilty Tuesday to being a felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm or ammunition and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Timothy Clark, 29, was accused April 12 of possessing a loaded pistol when he drove 90 mph in a 55-mph zone in Hebron, disobeying a McHenry County sheriff’s deputy’s signals to pull over and then crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot, according to the indictment and prosecutors at a detention hearing in April.

He is required to serve half his prison term, which will be followed by six months of mandatory supervised release, according to a sentencing order in the McHenry County court.

In exchange for his guilty plea, additional counts were dismissed, including aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer while exceeding 21 mph over the limit, three counts of theft of stolen property not exceeding $500 and resisting an officer, according to the judgment order.

Clark had been detained in the county jail since his arrest and will receive credit for 103 days served. In addition, he will receive credit for another six days for being involved in a self-improvement program or volunteering.

Authorities said that after a McHenry County sheriff’s deputy driving a fully marked squad car activated lights and sirens, alerting Clark to pull over, he “accelerated away and routinely” reached speeds of more than 90 mph. After crashing the vehicle, Clark allegedly fled on foot.

Court records show that his criminal history includes a 2013 case in which Clark was convicted of mob action and sentenced to felony probation. The felony conviction restricts him from possessing firearms or ammunition.