Chicago Man Found Guilty of Threatening Local Lawmaker

WHEATON, IL - It didn't take long for a DuPage County jury to return a guilty verdict Thursday for a Chicago man convicted of making threatening phone calls to Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives.

The jury found Stephen S. Bona, 52, of 903 W. Roscoe in Chicago, guilty on two counts of threatening a public official, a class 3 felony, after 1.5 hours of deliberating following a two-day trial, according to a DuPage County State's Attorney's Office press release.

The conviction stems from a March 2013 call made by to the office of the Wheaton legislator. He was initially charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for leaving a threatening message but a second phone call to Ives' office just days later lead prosecutors to upgrade that charge to a felony count of threatening a public official, according to the news release.

Bona reportedly made threatening statements directed at Ives, which included: “We know where you live," “there’s no longer a ban on assault weapons,” and “think about that before you speak next time," according to the new release.

The Daily Herald reports the calls came after Ives made an appearance on a Catholic Conference of Illinois radio show where she referred to same-sex marriages as "disordered" and said gay couples are attempting to "weasel their way into acceptability. In a second call to Ives office Bona said his phone calls were made "in response to your outrageous and personally disturbing comments about same-sex relationships." Ives, who was in Springfield when the calls were made to her office, testified she feared for her family's safety, according to the article.

"I felt threatened and I was frightened. I'm in Springfield and my kids are in school. My kids walk home from school and someone is saying they know where I live," Ives testified. "It's very frightening to know someone has targeted your home where your children live. I was very afraid."

Bona, who is gay and in court denied that he intended to harm the lawmaker, became emotional when recalling Ives telling the radio host that children adopted by gay couples would likely be seen as "objects of desire," according to the Chicago Tribune.

"We are not pedophiles," he said.

“The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to free speech,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. “What the First Amendment does not do however, is to allow free speech to digress into threats against public employees or elected officials. These men and women who have chosen public service must be allowed to do their jobs without having to worry about their personal safety or the safety of their families. Today, a jury agreed and found that Mr. Bona did indeed threaten Representative Ives. His remarks crossed the line between protected speech and threats and for that he must be held responsible."

Bona was arrested on March 25. Bona could face up to five years in prison but also could receive probation. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 29.