A Crystal Lake man was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after police caught him with 36 bags of heroin during a traffic stop last year.
Paul Benzinger, 30, of Crystal Lake, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to deliver (1-15 grams), a class 1 felony, on Monday, McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick D. Kenneally said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office pulled Benzinger over and discovered 3.6 grams of heroin in 36 packaged bags during a traffic stop in Crystal Lake last May.
Benzinger, who had just been previously released from prison, received the four and a half year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections following a plea deal in front of Judge James Cowlin.
Court records show that Benzinger was buying heroin in Chicago and bringing it back to McHenry County to sell.
The case was investigated by members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Robert Ladd of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.