COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A man busted for stealing several laptops from a health clinic in Portage Park told authorities he ripped off the computers so he could sell them and pay court-ordered fees for his ongoing probation, prosecutors said.
Julian Morciego, a military veteran and University of Illinois at Chicago student, was arrested Wednesday and charged in the July 25 theft from Oak Street Health Clinic, 4848 W. Irving Park Road.
Morciego, 23, stole nine computers from the clinic and later pawned them, prosecutors said. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and police served the warrant at his home in the 3600 block of West Diversey Avenue, according to court records.
He was ordered held on $10,000 bail during a brief court hearing Thursday.
Marciego pleaded guilty to residential burglary on April 8, according to court records. He was sentenced to 30 months probation. Offenders are often required to pay various fees associated with the Cook County Sheriff's probation program.
After police arrested Marciego this week, he allegedly told officers that he turned back to crime by stealing the computers in order to pay the probation fees he has been ordered to pay.
Marciego will likely be charged with violating his probation in the burglary case, prosecutors said.
His attorney said he is a college student who has served in the military.
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