Detectives arrested an alleged drug trafficker who they say sold a large amount of cocaine near an elementary school on several occasions in Lake County.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Chicago Field Division concluded an investigation that resulted in the arrest of Evan E. Crews, 34, of Beach Park.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the SIG received a tip in January about Crews trafficking drugs.
Members of SIG conducted an undercover operation that revealed Crews sold over 90 grams of cocaine to undercover detectives on several occasions, Covelli said.
Covelli said Crews set the location of at least one of the drug deals within 350 feet of an elementary school.
Crews was arrested in the 200 block of Water Street in Waukegan on Wednesday.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd said the buys occurred near Wadsworth Road and Lewis Avenue in Beach Park, which is down the street from Kenneth Murphy Elementary School.
The confidential informant met with Crews three times in January and February at the location for the drug buys, Shepherd said.
One of the transactions happened at 4 p.m. when school was still open with after-school activities going on.
Agents surveilled Crews and identified him, Shepherd said. They saw him go back to a residence in the 40100 block of North Glendale Avenue in Beach Park.
Detectives learned Crews was the respondent in an active order of protection against him, which bars him from having contact or being within 500 feet of Kenneth Murphy Elementary School and the residence on Glendale Avenue, Shepherd said.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that anyone would endanger our communities by trafficking dangerous drugs, let alone so close to an elementary school,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“Our Special Investigations Group, in partnership with the ATF – Chicago Field Division, remains relentless in holding drug traffickers accountable and keeping these poisons off our streets. I commend our detectives and law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in this case,” Idleburg said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved charges of three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver within 500 feet of a school, three counts of unlawful possession fo a controlled substance and violating an order of protection.
The state’s attorney’s office filed a petition to detain Crews pending trial and Lake County Judge George Pappas ordered Crews held in custody until a detention hearing, which he scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Court records show Crews is currently on probation for a 2023 Lake County case where he was originally charged with a Class X drug offense for manufacturing or delivery of cocaine in Round Lake Park.