A Du Page County Court jury returned a verdict of guilty in the solitication for murder trial of Charles Landwer, 28, a Bartlett auto mechanic and admitted car thief.
The jury apparently rejected Landwer`s claim that a police informant and an undercover investigator for the Du Page County state`s attorney had badgered him into agreeing to plans to murder two employees he thought were informing on him.
Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 12 before Du Page County Circuit Judge John J. Nelligan, who presided over the trial.
Landwer operated an auto repair business at 27W165 Schick Rd., Bartlett, on property his family has owned for about 100 years.
He also admitted during the trial to stealing 60 to 80 cars per year since 1988.
In October 1990, Landwer was indicted for possession of stolen autos and related charges.
He subsequently learned that one of his employees was cooperating with police in the auto theft investigation and came to believe that another employee was doing the same.
Landwer allegedly elisted a third employee, Christopher Bowden, to help him find someone who would at least intimidate the others into ceasing their cooperation, according to Landwer`s testimony.
But Bowden became a police informant and arranged for Landwer to meet with Robert Holguin, a state`s attorney`s investigator posing as a street gang enforcer, last Jan. 3 and 4.
Landwer admitted under questioning by Assistant Du Page County State`s Atty. David Bayer that he agreed to pay Holguin $600 to kill both employees.
But Landwer and his attorney, Jeffery Fawell, argued that Landwer was entrapped because the idea to commit murder came from Bowden and Holguin.
Bowden also testified that Landwer wanted the other two employees murdered.