A 79-year-old man was arrested after investigators found him in possession of a large amount of fentanyl and cocaine along with over $20,000 in cash and a gun in Crystal Lake.
Salvador Herrera-Castro, 79, of Crystal Lake, was charged with manufacturing or delivery of 15-100 grams of fentanyl, manufacturing or delivery of 15-100 grams of cocaine, possession of 15-100 grams of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm without a FOID, possession of ammunition without a FOID and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Herrera-Castro possessed a substance containing cocaine and fentanyl in the amount of 15-100 grams in Crystal Lake on Thursday.
Herrera-Castro was also found in possession of a .38 special Taurus revolver despite not having a Firearm Owner’s Identification card, the complaint said. Ammunition for the gun was also recovered.
Officers found Herrera-Castro in possession of drug paraphernalia, which consisted of a weight plate with suspected cocaine residue, the complaint said.
Court documents said the drugs and gun were found following a traffic stop and a search warrant executed on Herrera-Castro’s residence, which is located in the 300 block of Valhalla Circle in Crystal Lake.
Police found nearly 80 grams in total of the fentanyl and cocaine substance, court documents said. They additionally found $21,000 in cash.
The Crystal Lake Police Department arrested Herrera-Castro on Thursday. He was transported to the McHenry County Jail.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Herrera-Castro pending trial.
McHenry County Judge Carl Metz granted the petition and said the items recovered show Herrera-Castro was “using his residence as part of his effort to deliver these drugs, which are a threat to the safety of anyone who might consume them.”
Metz said releasing Herrera-Castro on home confinement would be insufficient to mitigate the threat he poses.
The judge also said GPS monitoring would not work because there is no exclusionary zone to be set.
“Orders to refrain from using controlled substances or obtain a substance abuse evaluation only address the possibility [the] defendant is using these drugs, but cannot mitigate the risk that he will continue to sell them,” Metz said in his ruling.
A hearing on a motion to reassign the case to a different judge is set for Tuesday.