CLINTON COUNTY, IL — Just weeks after he filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea to first-degree murder, a 41-year-old man has been charged in Clinton County Court with 30 new felony offenses in connection with a crime spree following the December 2021 shooting death of Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Riley.

The Clinton County State’s Attorney’s Office on Wednesday filed nine Class X felony charges of aggravated kidnapping against Ray E. Tate, as well as four counts of Class X felony home invasion, three counts Class 1 felony residential burglary, Class 1 possession of between 2 and 5 stolen firearms, three Class 2 felon in possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, Class 3 felonies for aggravated battery, and aggravated unlawful restraint, and three Class 4 felonies for reckless discharge of a firearm.

Tate pleaded guilty in Wayne County in March to the first-degree murder of Deputy Sean Riley in exchange for 37 other felony charges stemming from Riley’s murder being dismissed. He allegedly attempted to escape from the Jefferson County Jail a month later while he awaited sentencing for Riley’s murder.

He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison and is serving that sentence in Menard Correctional Center in Southern Illinois.
Following a brief encounter with Tate, Deputy Riley requested emergency assistance.

When other law enforcement officers arrived, they say they found Deputy Riley’s body but his cruiser was gone.

Authorities say Tate fled in Deputy Riley’s cruiser before hijacking a semi-truck driver who he forced to drive him to Missouri.

Tate is accused of committing other crimes in Missouri, before returning to Illinois.

He was taken into custody after holding a person he’d carjacked and a local homeowner hostage in Clinton County.

He’s due to be arraigned on the new Clinton County charges on July 8.

Missouri authorities have charged Tate with 14 various crimes stemming from his brief time that day in their state.