THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008
Cocaine Deal Gone Bad Lands Wheeling Man 50 Years In Jail
A Cook County judge sentenced a Wheeling man to 50 years in prison last Friday, after a jury in January found him guilty of aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder of a Mt. Prospect almost three years ago.
Bryan A. Gilzene, 26, of 275 Oak Creek Drive in Wheeling, was sentenced to the Illinois Dept. of Corrections in Chicago.
According to Andy Conklin, spokesman for State's Attorney John Gorman, the incident occurred on Apr. 5, 2005, when another individual arranged to purchase $10,000 worth of cocaine on behalf of Gilzene from the victim, Arturo Cedillo, 23, of Mt. Prospect. Conklin said Gilzene provided cash to pay Cedillo.
Conklin said Gilzene, along with his four co-defendants waited for Cedillo to return with the drugs. Conklin said the individuals tried to call Cedillo on his cell phone, but he didn't answer, so they all waited for Cedillo to return to his residence.
Once Cedillo returned home, the offenders allegedly forced Cedillo into his own automobile at gunpoint, according to Conklin. Gilzene, along with Cedillo and another co-defendant were allegedly in one car, while the other two individuals followed behind in a separate car.
Cedillo was found shot to death by Park Ridge Police in the back seat of his vehicle, left in the 2700 block of Glenview Avenue.
Conklin also said the jury found Gilzene guilty of personally discharging the firearm in the murder.
The trials for co-defendant Sean Wilkins, 24, of 6950 S. Western Ave. in Chicago; Jose Alfonso Carias-Estrada, 21, of 5400 Astor Ln. in Rolling Meadows; and Mario O. Gonzalez, 23, of 862 Colonial St. in Wheeling are still pending.