Jack Foley, 20, of unincorporated Antioch.

A judge denied prosecutors’ request and released an alleged drug dealer accused of selling counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl that killed a 17-year-old boy in Antioch.

The Antioch Police Department and Antioch Fire Department responded around 5 a.m. on February 11, 2023, to a home in the 400 block of Route 173 in Antioch for a report of an overdose victim.

A 17-year-old boy was found unresponsive and was later pronounced dead, according to Antioch Assistant Village Administrator Jim Moran.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office and police investigators determined the death was a result of a lethal dose of fentanyl through the consumption of Perc 30 pills.

Moran said Antioch Police Department detectives began an investigation into the teenโ€™s death in collaboration with the Lake County Stateโ€™s Attorneyโ€™s Office.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Scheller said the victim had been communicating with Jack Foley, 20, of unincorporated Antioch, on the night before his death.

Scheller said messages showed the two arranged to meet and investigators obtained location data for both of the victim and Foley’s phones.

A witness saw Foley selling the counterfeit pills to the victim during the meetup, Scheller said. Additional witnesses corroborated the drug sale meetup.

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Scheller said investigators obtained additional text messages between Foley and a male individual where they communicated about the sale of counterfeit Perc 30 pills laced with fentanyl from January 20 to February 10.

The two met on several occasions for the delivery of large quantities of drugs, Scheller said.

Scheller said the male individual informed Foley that the batch of pills he had just delivered to Foley was particularly strong. Foley allegedly said he knew they were.

The text exchange occurred just hours before Foley and the victim met for the arranged drug sale of the pills, Scheller said.

After the victim died, Foley texted the male individual and said, “Some f—ed up s–t happened” and that he was going to “lay low,” according to Scheller.

Scheller said that despite Foley saying he was going to “lay low,” Foley continued selling drugs to high school-aged juveniles in the Antioch area.

An arrest warrant was issued for Foley on February 22 charging him with one count of drug-induced homicide, a Class X Felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class 2 felony.

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Foley was taken into custody by police detectives on Wednesday and transported to the Lake County Jail.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Foley pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to the community.

During a detention hearing Friday afternoon, Lake County Judge D. Christopher Lombardo said he found the proof was evident and the presumption great that Foley committed the offense he was charged with.

Lombardo acknowledged that Foley had no criminal history and returned to Illinois after learning he was wanted.

The judge denied prosecutors’ detention petition after saying there were less restrictive release conditions than jail to satisfy the court.

Lombardo ordered Foley to reside with his father and not possess any weapons or consume any drugs or alcohol.

Foley was ordered to be placed on electronic home monitoring and only leave the residence for court, attorney visits or to see pre-trial services. He was also ordered to have no social media use.

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Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said he hopes others can learn from the tragic situation.

“A 17-year-old lost his life, while another young man will have to live with the consequences of his decision to engage in the distribution of these dangerous substances into our communities, which has devasting impacts not only within our community but in all communities across the nation,” Guttschow said.

“I encourage parents, teachers, and students to spend time talking about these dangers. Our police department offers resources to anyone who needs them, please take advantage of this help. Whether someone is taking these pills for a cheap high, or selling them for a few bucks, the effects last a lifetime for everyone involved,” Guttschow said.

The police chief lauded his police detectives “who lived up to our mission to keep Antioch safe by holding those who do our community harm, accountable for their actions.”

“Iโ€™d also like to thank the members of the Lake County Stateโ€™s Attorneyโ€™s Office who were able to assist with bringing a resolution to this investigation,” the chief added.