McHenry Times

Juan J. Cheverez has been sentenced to sixty years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The charges originated from incidents that took place between 2006 and 2010 in Crystal Lake, Illinois. A victim, who was only six years old when the assaults began, informed detectives at the Crystal Lake Police Department that she had been sexually assaulted by Cheverez during those years while he resided in her home.

Law enforcement officers collaborated with their counterparts in Iowa, where Cheverez had relocated, to try to capture him. However, he managed to evade arrest for over three years until agents of Homeland Security apprehended him in Texas. He was then extradited back to McHenry County in March 2022 to face the charges.

Following a four-day trial that commenced on March 18, 2024, the jury found Cheverez guilty on all three counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault. McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally acknowledged the diligent efforts of the Crystal Lake Police Department in investigating this case and expressed gratitude towards law enforcement agencies in both Iowa and Texas as well as the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance in capturing Cheverez.

The State’s Attorney’s Office also commended the victim for her bravery in reporting these offenses despite several years having passed since they occurred. Assistant State’s Attorneys Ashur Y. Youash, Tyler Mikan, and Maria Marek prosecuted this case.