May 06--The village president of Hebron is awaiting trial on felony drug and weapons charges, but his troubles don't end there: He's now at risk of having to move if more than $12,000 in back taxes on the house in which he lives are not paid, according to McHenry County records.
John Jacobson, who was arrested in March after police said they found cocaine, two crack pipes and an illegal firearm in his home, has so far resisted demands to step down as president in the small village near the Wisconsin border.
But Jacobson, 68, could also be saddled with having to find another place to live in the town he leads if the overdue taxes on his home are not paid by July 26. Reached by phone by the Tribune late Wednesday, Jacobson said, "I plan on paying the taxes." He declined to talk about the pending charges against him, citing advice from his lawyer, but said, "I love this town."
Jacobson faces the loss of the home through what is known as a tax sale. That means that if a homeowner fails to pay property taxes, another party can step in and "purchase" the taxes, or pay the amount that's due. The homeowner then has about two years to pay the back taxes, or the other party can eventually take possession of the property.
In Jacobson's case, a Chicago company, West Town Buyers Group, has purchased the taxes on the Jacob Avenue residence in which he lives, and a July 26 deadline has been set for repayment of the $12,335 owed in property taxes dating to 2012, according to county records. A person who answered the phone at the company said he couldn't comment about a specific property.
Both Jacobson and county officials said Jacobson inherited the house when his brother Larry died in 2009. Records from the county clerk and recorder of deeds indicate the residence, whose market value is listed at about $128,000, remains in Larry Jacobson's name more than seven years after his death.
Events leading to John Jacobson's most recent arrest began when a woman called 911 from his home saying he was having difficulty breathing after he had been "drinking alcohol and smoking crack cocaine throughout the night," according to a police report.
Jacobson recovered, but the 911 call led to his home being searched and then to his arrest. He was charged with felony possession of a firearm without an owner's ID card and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of ammunition and drug paraphernalia, according to court records.
Jacobson's attorney, Mark Facchini, has filed a motion seeking to dismiss the drug possession charge. He cites a state law that, in certain cases, prohibits drug possession charges against people who overdose if the evidence against them was obtained as a result of emergency medical treatment they received.
If Jacobson is convicted of a felony, however, state law bars him from remaining in his elected office, though it's possible he won't go to trial before his term ends in spring.
Village Trustee Andrew Georgi Jr., among those who have called for Jacobson to step down, noted that another path out of office for Jacobson would be a scenario where he has to vacate his residence and cannot find another residence in town.
If it could be proven that Jacobson no longer lived in Hebron, "we can hold a meeting and declare his position vacant by absence based on Illinois municipal code," Georgi said.
Georgi said he also wants to appeal for the state to intervene in Hebron and conduct an audit of village finances and operations. And he is exploring whether there is any legal way to place an elected official on leave during an investigation into his conduct, similar to what is routinely done with police officers.
Jacobson was elected village president in 2013 with 145 votes and ousted incumbent Frank Beatty, who got 92 votes.
But Jacobson's troubles had already began: A few months earlier, he had been charged with felony cocaine possession but later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, according to court records. Weeks before the election, he was fired from his job at McHenry County College after he was accused of viewing and sharing sexually explicit emails on his work account, college records show. He also had a pending DUI charge against him from 2011 but was later found not guilty.
Since taking office, Jacobson was charged in Walworth, Wis., in 2013 with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated; he pleaded no contest to reckless driving in the case and paid $781 in fines, municipal records show. For refusing a breath test in that case, his driving privileges were revoked for one year, and he was ordered to use an ignition interlock device for a year, records show.
Many Hebron residents have said they view his legal troubles as an embarrassment for the community, but Jacobson said he remains focused on bringing in new businesses and making other improvements. His family's roots run deep in Hebron; Jacobson owned a namesake hardware store in town 30 years ago and helped build houses in the Jacobson Woods subdivision where he lives. He said he is also proud of the 50 years that he worked with the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District, starting at age 15.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter. Chicago Tribune's Robert McCoppin contributed.
