LAWRENCE CO. – In the ongoing drama that is the Dennis (DJ) Thacker Jr. situation in Lawrence County, a little more has been revealed about the circumstances regarding Thacker’s late-June arrest after he failed to show up for court in Lawrence.
As it turns out, the agents tasked with rounding Thacker up for his return to jail on a petition to revoke probation set up on his felony Theft and Stolen Vehicle charges in Jasper County found a little more than just Thacker when they went looking.
Court documents show that Lawrence County State’s Attorney Michael Strange filed, on July 6, a Request for a Preliminary Review to Determine Probable Cause for Forfeiture.
In the request, Strange points out that according to several Illinois law including the Controlled Substance Act, Cannabis Control Act, Meth Control and Community Protection Act and Illinois Drug Asset Forfeiture Procedure Act, money found at the location where Thacker was apparently staying when he was supposed to have reported to court in Lawrence on June 22 is eligible to be seized and forfeited.
Strange pointed out that on June 22, at 19292 Spring Hill Road, Sumner, the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force seized $1,700 in currency from Thacker.
Strange said in paperwork that the money became subject to forfeiture because it was found in close proximity to illegal drugs and/or drug paraphernalia; Thacker has a criminal history of drug-related arrests and/or convictions; the amount of money seized was substantial and inexplicable by Thacker; and Thacker had no visible means of support.
Thacker remains jailed in Jasper County on a probation violation; his bond there is $15,000 cash.
No one in his camp can get the bond up because the wad’s already been shot on Thacker’s bond in his Clay County case dating back to early June: He’s charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance there, along with his current significant other, Crystal Behrens, and both were able to make bond in June to the tune of several thousand dollars each. Both have been residing in Alma up in Marion County since Thacker’s release from Jasper County after his plea there a year ago.
In the Clay County case, the two are accused of dealing bath salts through their online junk store, Thacker’s Trinkets and More.
Clay County State’s Attorney Joel Powless has, on July 24, submitted a Notice of Intent to seek an extended term on Thacker; these types of sentences generally have to do with habitual criminals who can’t keep themselves from thieving, doping, or basically just doing bad over and over, and probably won’t result in a slap on the wrist like Thacker got in Jasper County, despite the fact that Thacker stole so much grain in the March 2016 incident and/or had possession of a stolen farm truck that his restitution order to the various entities ran him well over $12,000 (and of his $14,867.20 in fines, fees and restitution in Jasper, it might be noted that only $1,375 has been paid.)
That $1,700 found at the rural Sumner residence June 22 won’t be going to the Jasper fines and fees any time soon: Thacker is being tried in Lawrence County as well, for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, which is why the case agents were attempting to find him in court that day as outlined in the last issue.
Thacker hadn’t bothered to show up for that Lawrence court hearing, for whatever reason he might have given as an excuse.
He’ll show up in subsequent hearings, however, as long as Jasper County gets notification that he needs to be there…since they’ll be the ones transporting him.
Thacker’s next in Lawrence County for a hearing on the stolen Jeep September 8.
He’s next in Jasper County on the probation violation August 15.
He’s next in Clay County on the bath salts issue Aug. 23. He had been set for a prelim in Clay on July 24, but that setting was continued.
It’s possible it was continued because Behrens was also set that day for a hearing on her felony count regarding the bath salts in Clay, and she opted for a plea instead of endlessly and uselessly fighting it in court.
For her plea to the reduced (amended) count, taken from a Schedule 1 or 2 Narcotic (Class 2) to Possession of a Controlled Substance (Class 4), Behrens, a first-time offender, got two years’ probation, 30 hours of public service, 174 days jail (stayed, but she got credit for 3 days time served when she sat in the jail in Louisville following her arrest and before bond), must receive drug treatment and was ordered to pay $6,027…all of which, remarkably, has been paid.