'Sam Is Harmful To Everyone In The House' Court Hears

SHOREWOOD, IL — A 37-year-old Minooka man, Sam Fratantion III, spent three days in the Will County Jail this past week after Shorewood police arrested him on two felony charges of unlawful violation of a protection order.

Fratantion has been inside the Will County Jail on multiple occasions since 2019, Will County Jail logs show.

According to Fratantion's latest criminal complaint, the Minooka man was previously convicted of domestic battery in Will County from a 2018 case.

On March 26, 2021, Fratantion got served with an order of protection in Will County notifying him to stay away from the 29-year-old woman.

Now, Fratantion is accused of violating his order of protection twice on Oct. 16, according to the Shorewood Police Department's criminal complaint.

According to Will County court records from the protection order case, "Sam has been out of control. He has threatened to kill me and take (another relative) to a place where she is not safe. The place has drugs ... I fear for my life and the children in the house. Sam is harmful to everyone in the house."

The order of protection states that "this all started Feb. 12, 2021 and is ongoing."

According to court files, Fratantion has retained private counsel from downtown Joliet, criminal defense lawyer Daniel Walsh, who has been praised by one of Will County's judges as being "a very fine lawyer."

After staying in the Will County Jail Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, Fratantion was let go on Tuesday night, logs show.

Although jail logs indicate Fratantion's cash bail was set at $50,000, one of the courthouse records obtained by Joliet Patch reflects that the Minooka man was being released on a personal recognizance signature bond.

Fratantion has a preliminary hearing in Will County Judge Dave Carlson's Courtroom 405 on Nov. 7. Court records indicate that Fratantion is unemployed.