A U.S. district court judge again delayed sentencing for a former North Riverside resident who has been convicted of possessing and distributing images of child pornography.
Michael Gruber in January 2010 pleaded guilty to two counts of an eight-count indictment against him. Since that time, his sentencing date has been continued five times. Gruber, 55, was to have been sentenced on Feb. 7, but Judge James B. Zagel agreed to delay the sentencing date to March 15.
The U.S Attorney’s Office is seeking a sentence of 10 to 12.5 years, according to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors in January. According to a motion filed on Jan. 28 by his court-appointed lawyer, Gruber has undergone a psychological evaluation, which will be used by Zagel in considering a sentence.
Dr. Michael Fogel, who performed the evaluation, was to have his report ready by Jan. 31. But according to the court filing, it won’t be ready until Feb. 28.
“Defense counsel and Mr. Gruber have already invested significant time and resources on Dr. Fogel,” the court filing reads. “Mr. Gruber prays this court allows this request for a brief continuance.”
According to court records, Gruber possessed more than 43,000 images of child pornography over a period of years, which he stored on his home computer and on compact discs, which the FBI found stashed over a drop ceiling in the basement of Gruber’s North Riverside home in September 2008.
During an FBI investigation in early 2008, Gruber on several occasions sent images of child pornography to an undercover agent. Gruber had been collecting and distributing child pornography over the Internet since at least 2005, according to prosecutors.
A longtime member of the Stickney Fire Department, Gruber has remained free on bond, but under a court-imposed curfew since his arrest. He now lives in Berwyn, according to the state of Illinois’ sex offender website.
– Bob Uphues
