Bloomington man jailed on 14 charges after police say he stole credit cards and firearm

Jamaude O. Tutwiler, 27, appeared before Judge J. Brian Goldrick on Friday. At the first hearing, the prosecutor’s office filed a petition for his arrest on the grounds that he was dangerous.

Tutwiler is accused of:

• armed habitual offender, a Class X felony;
• unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 2 felony;
• unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon, a Class 2 felony;
• five counts of theft, three Class 2 felonies and two Class 3 felonies;
• unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card, a Class 3 felony;
• two counts of unlawful possession of another person’s credit card, Class 4 felonies;
• three counts of misuse of credit card for more than $300, Class 4 felonies.

Prosecutors said Tutwiler was accused of burglarizing unlocked motor vehicles and stealing various items on multiple occasions starting in June and into September.

Between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. on June 15, a suspect took three credit, debit or gift cards from an unlocked car in the Old Farm Lakes subdivision in Bloomington, Assistant State’s Attorney David Fitt said, reading the probable cause affidavit.

The man’s belongings were taken. Security footage shared with Bloomington police shows a man pulling the handles of a car near his home around 3:47 a.m.

Fitt said he tracked down the stolen cards and found the credit cards were being used at various Bloomington stores and online.

After comparing footage from two Bloomington businesses, officers determined the same suspect was involved. Fitt said they also learned that the defendant’s email address and phone number were used during online purchases.

When questioned by the police, Tutwiler denied that he had received the stolen credit and debit cards from another person.

Later, around 5:45 a.m. on Sept. 16, another person notified police that a suspect had broken into his garage and stolen a loaded 9mm handgun, a loaded 12mm handgun magazine, and a 17mm handgun magazine from his unlocked car.

Police obtained a search warrant and examined Tutwiler’s cellphone, which contained images of the stolen firearm and ammunition, and searched online for the time period from when the stolen credit card was used to when the victim was notified, Fitt said.

Bloomington officers arrested Tutwiler after collecting evidence from his phone.

Fitt said the defendant told police on Oct. 31 that he committed theft, including taking the firearm, but “he didn’t want to do it.”

The prosecutor said he told officers he was drunk.

Tutwiler also told police the firearm was “on the streets” because he sold it before he was taken into custody, Fitt said.

Explaining his decision regarding Tutwiler’s arrest, Goldrick said: “It’s one thing to steal a gun, but it’s another thing to leave it in the hands of society. This is very problematic.”

Arguing for his arrest, Fitt said Tutwiler had an extensive criminal record, dating back nearly 12 years and including convictions for robbery, theft and battery. Tutwiler is currently on parole in two separate cases.

Deputy Public Defender Wendy Maulson said her client denied “most of what was presented in the probable cause statement,” arguing that the crimes were non-violent and that Tutwiler should not be arrested on the grounds of dangerousness.

Ultimately, Goldrick agreed with the prosecution and granted the state’s request for a remand. The judge acknowledged that these crimes were not violent, but noted that Tutwiler had been convicted of violent crimes.

Tutwiler’s trial is scheduled for November 15.