March 22--A Des Plaines man was sentenced to three years in prison for unlawfully restraining a woman who had come to look at a room the man was renting, authorities said Monday.
Farhad Tanzif, 60, of the 1000 block of South River Road in Des Plaines, pleaded guilty at the Cook County courthouse in Skokie on Friday to one count of felony unlawful restraint and was sentenced, authorities said Monday.
Prior to his sentencing, Tanzif asked the judge if he could serve his time in the same facility where his son is being held on a conviction for burglary, authorities said. Officials told Tanzif that the Illinois Department of Corrections would have to make that decision.
Tanzif was originally charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual assault in August after holding a woman at knifepoint in a room she had agreed to rent from him, Des Plaines police said. Those charges were dropped after he agreed to plead guilty on Friday to unlawful restraint, said authorities.
The 43-year-old victim told police that she went to Tanzif's residence in response to an ad he had placed on Craig's List for a room he was renting, authorities said. They said that after agreeing on terms of the rental arrangement, Tanzif mixed the victim a Pepsi and gin and encouraged her to settle into her room.
But, authorities said, Tanzif then barged into the room, pinned the woman down and assaulted her. After that incident, Tanzif prevented the woman from leaving the house, knocked her down, dragged her into the living room and held her at knifepoint, authorities said.
After his arrest Tanzif told authorities he does not like American women because they don't listen, authorities said.
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter.
