Nov. 7—DIXON — Despite insisting he is a changed man, a Rock Falls felon was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison in connection with a December 2023 standoff at a Dixon hotel where police were called after he threatened another. man with a gun, and four guns and an assortment of drugs were found in his room.
Steven M. Armoska, 30, will serve 85% of his sentence and will be on mandatory supervised release for three years after his release, Lee County Circuit Court Judge Jacquelyn Ackert ruled during Wednesday morning’s sentencing hearing. He pleaded guilty on September 25 to four counts of being an armed habitual criminal, Class X felonies each carrying a prison sentence of six to 30 years.
Seven other charges were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea: one charge of armed violence, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years, with a mandatory minimum of 85% to be served; four counts of being a felon in possession of a weapon, which carries a prison sentence of three to 14 years; possession of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine, punishable by two to five years; and possession of more than 100 but less than 500 grams of marijuana, which carries a term of one to three years.
The charges stemmed from a standoff on Dec. 17, 2023, at the Magnuson Hotel at 443 Route 2. Both Armoska and the man he threatened, who called 911, were staying at the now-closed Magnuson, which is next to Brandywine Banquets & Restaurant.
Dixon police, Lee County sheriff’s deputies and Illinois state troopers were called to the hotel around 9:30 a.m. that day for a report of a man pointing a gun at another man. Lee County Sheriff Clay Whelan testified at Wednesday’s hearing that as soon as deputies knew they were dealing with Armoska, they called in the Lee County Joint Operations Group — the county’s SWAT team — to help. In all, about 30 officers were on scene and hotel guests were evacuated, Whelan said, acknowledging that officers had previously received information that Armoska had weapons and was selling drugs from the hotel room.
Armoska remained locked in room 223 for about six hours and surrendered after officers threw tear gas into the hotel room. No shots were fired and no one was injured. A search of Armoska’s room turned up three handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, marijuana, cocaine, meth and Xanax, Whelan testified.
Whelan also testified that during his drive to jail on Dec. 17, Armoska told a deputy that if he had been there more, there would have been a shootout and he would have “taken out ten officers.”
“I think we took a very dangerous individual off the streets that day,” Whelan testified.
Lee County State’s Attorney Charley Boonstra said all things considered, an 18-year prison sentence was appropriate.
But Armoska’s attorney, Robert Thompson, said a six-year prison sentence was more appropriate. He spoke about the trauma Armoska faced as a very young child, how that played a role in his struggle, and how Armoska was so fueled by drugs on December 17 that he remembers very little of the events of that day. He also talked about brain studies that point to changes that occur in the human brain between the ages of 29 and 34, how Armoska is now moving into that age range, and how he could change for the better during that time.
“If we believe in the research, we have to believe in potential,” Thompson said.
Armoska’s recovery coach also read a letter to the court in support of Armoska and promised to mentor him in the future.
Armoska, supported by a large group of supporters who filled the courtroom, said he has become a different person during the year he has spent in prison. He is recovering from substance abuse, reconnecting with his faith, getting his life in order and focusing on his education so he can earn a degree and help others. He also agreed that he had been a dangerous person and is grateful that he is now free from his previous life, which he described as one of misery.
A father of two young children, Armoska is a 2013 graduate of Rock Falls High School and a former quarterback at the school. He told the court he is saddened by what he has missed in life, how he had been a three-sport athlete in high school and had thrown that away because of the drugs he started using at age 12 and was on was addicted at the age of 16.
“I haven’t felt this happy and at peace in many years,” he said, turning to the gallery of supporters, thanking them all one by one for their help and promising to stay sober. “I know it won’t be easy, but every day will be an achievement.”
At Armoska’s sentencing, Ackert mentioned his prior criminal history, which she said became increasingly violent over time. He was on pretrial release in a domestic battery hold at the time of the standoff, she said.
She said he was charged in Lee County Court in 2015 and pleaded guilty in 2018 to reckless discharge of a firearm. He was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.
In June 2017, Armoska was sentenced in Whiteside County to seven years in prison for a 2015 robbery; one charge of armed robbery was dismissed.
He was convicted in Whiteside County of drug possession in 2020 and sentenced to two years in prison, and was convicted again in Whiteside County on a 2022 weapons charge and sentenced to two years in prison, according to court records.
In announcing the 18-year prison sentence, Ackert said she could only make a sentencing decision based on his prior history and could not predict a suspect’s potential and how that might factor into sentencing.
“The court does not have a crystal ball,” she said.
