Detectives recovered over 3,600 fentanyl pills from a Waukegan drug dealer who was allegedly selling the pills, along with methamphetamine and cocaine, out of his home.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG) concluded an investigation that led to the arrest of Terrance D. Hill, 35, of Waukegan.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Hill was selling methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl.
The investigation began in late 2023 after members of SIG received information that Hill was selling the drugs out of his home in the 700 block of Helmholz Avenue.
“Members of SIG confirmed Hill was indeed selling meth, cocaine, and fentanyl,” Covelli said.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Francis DeRosa said in court Thursday that Hill sold the drugs to undercover officers on numerous occasions over several months in Waukegan.
Covelli said SIG detectives recovered over 3,600 fentanyl pills, nearly 30 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 40 grams of cocaine throughout the investigation.
Members of SIG reviewed the investigation with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday.
The state’s attorney’s office approved charges against Hill and SIG detectives obtained an arrest warrant for him.
Hill was charged with seven counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, five of which are Class X felonies and two are Class 1 felonies.
“The hard work of our Special Investigations Group resulted in over 3,600 pills of deadly fentanyl being removed from our community, leading to countless lives being saved from overdose,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“We will be relentless in our investigations and arrests of drug traffickers and gun traffickers operating in Lake County. I am proud of the work SIG and all of my staff, for what they do on a daily basis to keep our community safe,” Idleburg said.
Hill was arrested on Tuesday and appeared for a detention hearing Thursday afternoon.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Hill. DeRosa argued the drugs Hill was selling makes him a threat to the safety of the community.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted the petition and said he agreed that Hill poses a danger to the public. The judge called fentanyl “a plague.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it “acknowledges the exceptional assistance” of its federal and local partners, which include ATF Downers Grove 1, DEA Group 31, FBI NRA-1, HSI TOC-Group, NCIS Great Lakes, Park City PD, Round Lake Beach PD, Round Lake Park PD, Wauconda PD, Waukegan PD, Winthrop Harbor PD and Zion PD.