Crime & Safety

Stolen Jewelry Was to Be Payment for Hitman's Glendale Heights Murders: Prosecutors

Matthew Olszewski is being held on $1 million bail.

A Glendale Heights man wanted three of his family members murdered, then he was going to have the hitman pay himself by taking their jewelry, prosecutors said.

Matthew Olszewski, 23, of the 1500 block of Glen Ellyn Road, remained in the DuPage County Jail Saturday on $1 million bail. He was charged on Thursday with three counts of solicitation of murder and three counts of solicitation of murder for hire.

Olszewski was already in custody for felony theft charges at the DuPage County Jail when he solicited a hitman to kill Olszewski’s aunt, uncle and grandfather, according to a press release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. 

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Olszewski told the hitman how he wanted the murders to be done. Then Olszewski told him where he could find jewelry in his aunt and uncle’s house as payment for committing the murders, the press release said.

Law enforcement officials conducted an undercover investigation, and Olszewski was charged. He faces up to 30 years in prison for each of the six counts, according to sentencing guidelines in the current state statute.

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Olszewski’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 26 on the murder charges. His next court date for the felony theft charges is Aug. 12, according to county records.

"The charges brought against Mr. Olszewski are an assault not only on the victims in this case, but on the criminal justice system itself," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. "Any attempt, or perceived attempt, to bring physical harm to a witness or victim will be met by the full force of the law. I would like to thank the Glendale Heights Police Department and Sheriff John Zaruba and his staff for their outstanding police work in this investigation."

Members of the public are reminded that these complaints contain only charges and are not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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