Man convicted of threatening state rep gets only probation

A Chicago man who was convicted of making threatening phone calls to a west suburban state representative in 2013 has been sentenced to two years of probation.

Stephen S. Bona, 52, of the 900 block of West Roscoe, was sentenced to probation Friday for making phone calls to state Rep. Jeanne Ives, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office. Bona was convicted in March of two felony counts of threatening a public official.

At 9:42 a.m. on March 22, 2013, Bona called Ives’ office and left a threatening message. He was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, according to a statement from prosecutors.

Three days later, on March 25, a second threatening call was made to Ives’ office, and the state’s attorney’s office upgraded the charges to threatening a public official. That day, an arrest warrant was issued for Bona and Wheaton police took him into custody.

In one of the messages, Bona told Ives, “We know where you live,” “There’s no longer a ban on assault weapons,” and “Think about that before you speak next time,” according to prosecutors.

A jury deliberated for about 90 minutes after the two-day trial before finding him guilty, the state’s attorney’s office said.

“A jury found that there was no ambiguity about the message Mr. Bona was sending to Rep. Ives,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the statement.

“In no uncertain terms, Mr. Bona’s threats caused Rep. Ives to be fearful for her personal safety as well of the safety of her family,” Berlin said. “Whether he ever intended to act upon his threats does not matter. He threatened an elected official because he disagreed with her and consequently he is now a convicted felon.”