Alleged Gang Member Held for Drug Possession in Lake County
Feb. 28, 2019
On Feb. 19, a 22-year-old Illinois man was arrested for alleged drug possession during a traffic stop in Lake County. The defendant is reportedly a documented member of an area street gang.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Gang Task Force, the defendant was pulled over near the intersection of North Fairfield Road and Lake Shore Drive in Round Lake Heights at around 11:30 a.m. During the stop, deputies allegedly found cocaine and ecstasy in his possession. They further discovered that he was driving without a driver’s license.
The defendant, who lives on the 1200 block of Barberry Lane, was taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail. He was charged with two felony counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver and two felony counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He was held on a $75,000 bond and scheduled for a court hearing on March 13 at 1:30 p.m. In a press release, the sheriff’s office said that identifying and arresting drug dealers in the community was “a priority” for the department.
Individuals charged with serious drug offenses may help themselves by politely declining to answer police questions and contacting a criminal defense attorney for assistance. The attorney may be able to thoroughly investigate the case and see if law enforcement officers violated the defendant’s rights at any point during the investigation or arrest. If they did, the case could be thrown out of court. Another defense strategy might involve negotiating a plea deal that mitigates the most serious charges, which may help the defendant obtain a lighter sentence.
Source: Grayslake Patch, “Lake County Gang Member Charged With Drug Possession: Sheriff,” Rebecca Bream, Feb. 20, 2019