A Chicago man has been arrested after allegedly pre-arranging to sell a half-pound of cocaine, worth tens of thousands of dollars, in McHenry County.
Raul Alvarez, 37, of Chicago, was charged with manufacturing or delivery of cocaine over 100 grams, a Class X felony, and possession of cocaine over 100 grams, a Class 1 felony.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Alvarez possessed 100-400 grams of a substance containing cocaine and had the intent to deliver it around 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday in McHenry County.
Court documents said Alvarez showed up to a pre-arranged cocaine purchase when he was caught.
He was found in possession of 231.7 grams of cocaine. The estimated street value of that amount of cocaine is approximately $23,000, according to the DEA Chicago Field Division.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alvarez and transported him to the McHenry County Jail.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Alvarez pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to the community.
McHenry County Judge Carl Metz granted the petition and said the amount of drugs found was “far beyond an amount used for personal consumption.”
“The large amount of cocaine Defendant possessed makes him a clear and present threat to the safety of anyone in the community who may consume the cocaine he sells,” Metz said.
The judge also said that Alvarez’s communication about where he would stay if released pending trial was “inconsistent and not credible.”
“GPS or electronic monitoring or any other conditions this Court might impose cannot mitigate the risk of defendant obtaining more cocaine and selling it,” Metz said.
Alvarez is set to appear in court again on Tuesday for a status of preliminary hearing.