JOLIET, IL — Victor Barakat, the New Lenox used-car dealer who, according to prosecutors, tried to shoot a Joliet police sergeant and remove the holstered gun of another Joliet officer last month was previously sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison after robbing two banks in Texas and another in Rolling Meadows, back in 2002.
Most recently, Barakat was taken into Joliet police custody on Feb. 13 at a recently built condominium on Timber Pointe Drive, near Interstate 55. Will County prosecutors say Barakat pulled out a silver gun from his left pants pocket and tried to shoot the Joliet police supervisor who knocked on his front door, introduced himself and shook his hand. Barakat’s gun clicked, but he did not have any bullets in the chamber, although he had five bullets in the magazine, the criminal complaint outlined.
Since being released from federal prison 10 years ago, Barakat owned a small used car dealership in New Lenox, and he is accused of using one of his used cars to commit the Feb. 8 robbery at the Fifth Third Bank in Rolling Meadows.
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Twenty years ago — in June 2003 — then-28-year-old Barakat pleaded guilty to committing three separate bank robberies, with the last one happening in Rolling Meadows, Joliet Patch found.
According to his guilty plea:
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On Aug. 20, 2002, Barakat stole $8,700 from TCF bank employees, and he put their lives in jeopardy by displaying a .22-caliber rifle inside the grocery store.
At 3 p.m. Barakat entered the Jewel store, pushing a shopping cart with boxes and clothes used to hide his rifle. He approached the TCF bank and grabbed the rifle he was concealing inside the shopping cart and pointed the rifle at the teller. Barakat handed the teller a plastic bag and told the teller to fill the bag with money. Barakat obtained $8,700 and fled the bank.
Months earlier, on May 20, 2002, Barakat robbed the Bank of America in Plano, Texas, which was inside an Albertsons grocery store. First, Barakat tried to open the door for the bank teller’s area. When that didn’t work, Barakat put his plastic bag on the teller’s counter and pointed a black pistol at the teller.
“Fill it up. I’m serious. This is a robbery. Fill it up,” Barakat announced.
Barakat also demanded money from a second teller. Barakat stole $10,014 from the Plano, Texas Bank of America.
On Sept. 4, 2002, Barakat was back in Texas, where he robbed a Wells Fargo Bank, also in Plano. Barakat entered a Tom Thumb food store, which had a Wells Fargo inside. Barakat approached a teller and pointed an air pistol at them and declared, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Fill the bag with money. You have 45 seconds.”
Barakat stole $7,437 from several of the Wells Fargo bank tellers that day.
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As part of his 2003 guilty plea, Barakat agreed to pay $26,151 in restitution for the three bank robberies he committed.
According to the federal complaint filed in Illinois, Barakat was almost captured moments after robbing the TCF bank in the Rolling Meadows Jewel grocery store on Aug. 20, 2002 — because he tried to leave through one of the entrance doors.
“While the robber was stopped in front of the doors, customer one tackled him, knocking over the shopping cart. The robber then retrieved the bag and long gun and fled the store. He departed the area in a black colored sports utility vehicle,” an FBI special agent wrote.
Rolling Meadows police secured the crime scene and recovered Barakat’s shopping cart and its contents. Barakat had left his black jacket inside the shopping cart, and inside one of his pockets was a Feb. 19, 1999, Rent-A-Center store receipt in the name of Victor Barakat, who lived on Grove Avenue in Berwyn.
Police learned that Barakat was issued a state of Illinois photo ID on Sept. 20, 1999, and the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office listed Barakat as living at the same address in Berwyn.
The FBI determined Barakat was associated with the Berwyn address since January 1998 and an address on Legacy Drive in Plano, Texas, starting in April 2002. Barakat was issued a Texas driver’s license for the Plano address on Dec. 17, 2001.
On Aug. 23, 2002, Barakat’s photo was put into a police photo spread and the customer who stood in line prior to the TCF bank robbery in Rolling Meadows identified Barakat as the robber.
On Nov. 4, 2004, federal judge Harry Leinenweber —a former Joliet lawyer — sentenced Barakat to 162 months — which is 13.5 years — at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Barakat was also sentenced to 60 months of supervised release.
According to court records, Barakat completed his federal prison term on June 12, 2014.
On Aug. 11, 2017, federal public defenders in Chicago petitioned Judge Leinenweber for early termination of Barakat’s supervised release.
“Since his release from prison, he has worked at a car dealership in the western suburbs. He is focused on work and family, and is engaged to be married,” the public defenders wrote. “Mr. Barakat has not had any problems during the time he has been on supervised release, almost 38 months, and he has not been called before this Court for any alleged violations. In short, Mr. Barakat has done everything that has been asked of him as a supervisee and has proven over a lengthy period of time that he is rehabilitated.”
According to the public defenders, “Barakat has made significant contributions towards his restitution balance, which currently stands at approximately $20,000, down from over $26,000 at the time of sentencing. As the Court is well aware, the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to monitor and manage the collection of Mr. Barakat’s restitution.”
On Aug. 17, 2017, Judge Leinenweber held a hearing and granted Barakat’s motion for early termination of his supervised release. That event became the last court docket entry for Barakat’s three bank robberies, dating back to 2002.
Then, last month, federal prosecutors opened another Rolling Meadows bank robbery case, USA V. Barakat.
On Monday, March 13, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Barakat in connection with the Fifth Third bank robbery and possessing a Kimber Solo Carry 9 caliber pistol, when Joliet police went to arrest him on the federal bank robbery charges, according to court records.
On Tuesday, Barakat entered a not-guilty plea on his latest bank robbery charges.
On the issue of detention., U.S. Magistrate David Weisman wrote, “the Court finds that no condition or combination of conditions will ensure appearance before the court or the safety of the community. The Government’s motion for detention based on risk of flight and danger to the community is granted. Defendant shall remain in federal custody of the U.S. Marshals.”
So far, Barakat has not made an appearance at the Will County Courthouse in connection with his seven state felony charges, including two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and one count of attempting to disarm a police officer.
There are no dates on Will County’s court calendar for Barakat at this point.
More Joliet Patch coverage:
Bank Robbed By New Lenox Car Dealer Who Tried Shooting Joliet Cop: FBI
Bank Robbery Suspect Tries To Shoot Joliet Police Officer: English
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