Investigators arrested a Mundelein man who they said sold firearms and drugs and possessed nearly 8,000 fentanyl-laced pills worth an estimated $160,000.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG) this week concluded a three-month investigation that led to the arrest of Oscar Pena, 22, of Mundelein.
Members of the SIG, which includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), began an investigation in March after learning Pena was allegedly selling firearms and illegal narcotics.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said undercover detectives acquired three guns, 15 grams of cocaine and nearly 2,500 fentanyl-laced pills from Pena during the investigation.
A search warrant was conducted at Pena’s home on Friday.
Nearly 5,500 fentanyl-laced pills packaged for distribution were located along with an additional firearm and a large quantity of ammunition, Covelli said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved almost two dozen felony charges against Pena, who is a convicted felon.
He was charged with armed violence, gunrunning, possession of a defaced firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, three counts of unlawful possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver, four counts of unlawful possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver and eight counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
“This drug trafficker had the ability to end countless lives with the fentanyl laced pills he was trying to distribute throughout the region,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“Thanks to the strong partnerships included in our Special Investigations Group, we were able to utilize state and federal resources to investigate and arrest him. I am thankful for all who participated in this successful investigation,” Idleburg said.
Pena remains held in the Lake County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.
The sheriff’s office thanked their federal and local SIG partners, including ATF Downers Grove 1, DEA Group 31, FBI NRA-1, HSI TOC-Group, Park City Police Department, Round Lake Beach Police Department, Round Lake Park Police Department, Wauconda Police Department, Waukegan Police Department, Winthrop Harbor Police Department and Zion Police Department.
The Mundelein Police Department also assisted in the investigation.