Mark Orozco sentenced to 14 years in prison

Mark Orozco sentenced to 14 years in prison

By Felix Sarver

One of the men charged in the April 2011 shooting of former NIU football player Devon Butler was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday, according to a Daily Chronicle.

Mark Orozco, 25, of DeKalb, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of residential burglary during a hearing at the DeKalb County Courthouse, according to the Daily Chronicle.

Police said the shooting was in response to an April 5, 2011, drug deal. Orozco and Richard Van Arsdale, 21, supplied marijuana to two people who subsequently did not pay and hid in a DeKalb apartment. Several hours later, Orozco fired rounds from a 9 mm gun into that apartment while riding in a vehicle driven by Van Arsdale, according to the Daily Chronicle. Butler was visiting the apartment but police said he was not involved at all.

Orozco and Van Arsdale were charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, armed violence, aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful delivery of marijuana. Van Arsdale pleaded guilty to residential burglary in March and was sentenced to nine years in prison, according to the Daily Chronicle.

According to the Daily Chronicle, Prosecutor Phil Montgomery, of the DeKalb County state’s attorney’s office, said the state sought a longer sentence because they felt Orozco was more culpable than Van Arsdale.

As part of the plea deal, all other charges against Orozco were dropped. He is credited with time served in jail and given two years of parole.

Orozco must pay $4,271 in restitution to Butler and $3,000 to the DeKalb police, according to the Daily Chronicle.