Former fugitive ordered to start 30-year prison sentence

By Tony Gordon
Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer
Posted Tuesday, March 28, 2006

A Lake County judge said Monday a man sentenced to 30 years in prison after fleeing the country during his trial on drug charges must begin serving that sentence.

Besnick Saliu, 36, was arrested in Bulgaria last year after being on the run for more than two years.

Saliu, formerly of Island Lake, was arrested Nov. 8, 2000, and accused of selling a pound of cocaine to undercover agents of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group.

He disappeared Aug. 1, 2003, at the end of the first day of his trial before Circuit Judge James Booras.

The trial continued in Saliu’s absence and he was convicted. Booras handed down the 30-year sentence two months later.

The FBI issued a worldwide alert for Saliu shortly after his disappearance. He was captured as he tried to cross into Bulgaria from Macedonia on Oct. 10 of last year.

He was returned to Lake County earlier this year. On Monday, Chicago attorney Tom Brandstrader asked Booras to grant Saliu a new sentencing hearing.

Saliu should be given the right to participate in a presentence investigation of his background for a report to be given to the court prior to sentencing, Brandstrader argued.

But Assistant State’s Attorney Bolling Haxall said Saliu had no right to challenge the sentence at the local court level because the time limit on such actions had lapsed.

In addition, Haxall argued, people who flee the jurisdiction are waiving their right to participate in the preparation of a presentence report.

Booras agreed with Haxall, and said Saliu would be transferred from Lake County jail to the state prison system without further delay.