Roscoe man pleads guilty to bank robbery

Former Roscoe resident Matthew Barnett, 42, pleaded guilty Friday afternoon, Sept. 12 to robbing First National Bank in Belvidere, IL on November 23, 2024. His sentencing hearing will be Friday, Oct. 31 at the Boone County Courthouse. Judge C. Robert Tobin III has presided over the hearings. He has been represented in court by Assistant Public Defender Seth Wiggins and prosecuted by State's Att0rney Kyle Johnson.

Barnett was charged with FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ROBBERY , (Class 1 Felony) THEFT CONTROL INTENT $500<10K  (Class 2 Felony), and ROBBERY (Class 2 Felony). The robbery charge would have been more serious if he had used a weapon or drugs to commit the crime, or even claimed to have a weapon. But he didn't. The theft control charge would have been more serious if he had stolen more than $10,000. It may have been as little as $500.

According to Belvidere Police, on the morning of November 23, 2024, a "white male, 5’10” – 6’00”, medium build, wearing; a grey and yellow striped Carhartt beanie, black hoodie (red lining) with red WISCONSIN on the front, black pants (possibly sweatpants), black socks, dark colored sandals, and a white surgical mask," entered First National Bank in Belvidere and handed the teller a note demanding money. He later drove away in a blue 4-door Kia with a temporary registration plate." The FBI was called to assist with the investigation.

On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Barnett was arrested, several hours after the Belvidere Police Department searched his Roscoe residence, presumably looking for a Carhartt beanie or a WISCONSIN hoodie. Barnett is a white male, 5'11" and 170 pounds.

But Barnett was released from jail about 3:30 p.m. the next afternoon by orders of Judge Ryan Swift [PDF]. At the time, Tricia Smith, Boone County State’s Attorney, told us she was appealing Barnett's release, saying, "My office filed a Petition to Detain the defendant per the Pretrial Fairness Act arguing both flight risk and community safety. We respectfully disagree with Judge Swift’s decision to not to detain on either basis and to release the defendant from custody on Pretrial conditions. "

In an apparently successful test of the Pretrial Fairness Act, Barnett has shown up for all 10 hearings since then. He still owns a house on Merilot Drive in Chicory Ridge, assessed at $224,640. He paid his taxes early, on Sept. 2. He took out another mortgage loan three days after his arrest. Court records show him living in Rockton now. He had not participated in the Chicory Ridge Garage Sales in recent years. He apparently reads Rockton-Roscoe News, along with 20,000 other people, but has not responded to our requests for comment.

Before Barnett's release, the Belvidere Police Department solemnly announced that the suspect was "being held without bail until his court appearance" and Rockford media repeated the announcement. Almost ten months later, Rockton-Roscoe News remains the only news outlet to report his release.