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MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. - A suburban Chicago man will remain in custody after prosecutors say he sold a cache of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, to undercover officers on several occasions.
Fentanyl trafficking charges in Chicagoland
What we know:
According to prosecutors, the McHenry County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Task Force spent several months investigating 30-year-old Aaron Johnson, of Downers Grove.
Aaron Johnson | Provided
Between May and July, undercover officers allegedly bought fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl from Johnson during several controlled purchases.
Investigators said they recovered:
- More than 30 grams of fentanyl mixed with cocaine and heroin.
- More than 60 grams of fentanyl mixed with cocaine.
- Nearly 300 counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl.
Prosecutors said investigators later arranged a larger drug deal in which Johnson allegedly agreed to sell five ounces of cocaine, one ounce of heroin and 500 counterfeit M30 pills.
Before that deal happened, task force members arrested Johnson on July 16 in Crystal Lake. At the time, officers reportedly found on him about 40 grams of a substance containing cocaine and fentanyl, nearly 30 grams of a substance containing heroin and fentanyl, and about 500 counterfeit M30 pills.
In total, investigators recovered roughly 227 grams of fentanyl, which is about 100 times more potent than morphine, prosecutors said.
Authorities then searched Johnson's Crystal Lake apartment, where his pregnant girlfriend and her 10-year-old son were present.
According to prosecutors, investigators recovered additional heroin, fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug packaging materials, scales, baggies, mixing equipment and a full-face respirator that authorities said is commonly used while handling fentanyl. Officers also found a loaded gun in a bedroom closet.
Prosecutors said drugs and drug-processing equipment were in the kitchen within reach of children inside the home.
What they're saying:
During Johnson's detention hearing, prosecutors argued Johnson posed a danger to the community and a risk of fleeing.
"This man didn't just bring illegal drugs into McHenry County. He brought death to our county," Assistant State's Attorney Garrett Miller told the court.
Prosecutors also said Johnson regularly traveled to Arizona, had contacts in Arizona and Mexico, had previous flight- and escape-related offenses and allegedly used false identities to rent properties, which made tracking him more difficult.
State's Attorney Randi Freese praised investigators.
"This case demonstrates the relentless commitment our Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force has to removing this deadly poison from our communities before it claims more lives," she said in a statement. "The quantities of fentanyl recovered during this investigation had the potential to cause immeasurable harm."
What's next:
Johnson is due back in court on July 31 in McHenry County.
The Source: The information in this story came from the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office.