A 39-year-old man free from jail despite getting into a fight with police and jumping out of a moving car has been ordered detained until trial for selling fentanyl and cocaine to undercover police officers over nearly two years, authorities said.
Michael Jefferson, 39, of Fox Lake, was ordered detained by Lake County Circuit Court Judge Michael Nerheim for selling drugs to undercover Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group police officers between November 2023 and March 2025.
The drug buys came while Jefferson was out of jail after a high-speed chase in North Chicago where he allegedly almost ran over an officer’s foot and jumped out of the moving vehicle he was driving, prosecutors said.
Jefferson was initially arrested on Feb. 23, 2025, following a traffic stop and high-speed chase through North Chicago, prosecutors said during Jefferson’s detention hearing held March 17.
During that incident, Jefferson was accused of staring at a North Chicago police officer as he left a restaurant at 1 a.m. in the 1100 block of 10th Street, prosecutors said.
The officer followed Jefferson in his marked squad and noticed Jefferson commit a traffic violation, prompting the officer to pull him over, prosecutors said. Â
Nerheim said in court Jefferson “was laughing” at the officer before taking off and starting a high-speed chase.
Jefferson is alleged to have nearly run over the officer’s foot with the vehicle when he drove away from the scene, prosecutors said in court.
The chase reached speeds as high as 75 miles per hour or greater in a 35 miles per hour zone, Nerheim said.
Jefferson opened his car door and rolled out of the vehicle he was driving, prosecutors said. The move resulted in the car running into a utility pole and stopping.
Jefferson tried to run from police and had to be subdued, prosecutors said.
Police recovered a bag that contained 93 grams of cocaine powder, 16.5 cocaine rocks, $1,000 in cash, a scale, and other drug paraphernalia, Nerheim said.
Court records show Jefferson was charged with a Class X felony charge of manufacturing or delivery of cocaine, a Class 1 felony count of possession of cocaine, and Class 4 felony counts for aggravated fleeing and eluding police and aggravated assault to a peace officer.
At Lake County First Appearance Court, prosecutors filed the necessary paperwork to detain Jefferson until trial. However, before the case could be called in detention court, Jefferson complained of having chest pains and was sent to the hospital, Nerheim said.
Jefferson remained in the hospital through several additional court dates, court records show. Several days later, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office withdrew the petition to detain Jefferson pending trial, Nerheim said.
“I don’t have evidence the defendant was faking the issue with the heart condition, but what I do know is that once the motion to detain was withdrawn, the defendant left the hospital and proceeded to conduct a drug transaction with an undercover officer,” Nerheim said in court.
Nerheim said in court an undercover officer from the Metropolitan Enforcement Group purchased cocaine and fentanyl from Jefferson on five occasions between November 2023 and March 13, 2025.
The March 13 purchase resulted in Jefferson being arrested again, Nerheim said in court.
Prosecutors said Jefferson sold 2 ounces of cocaine to the undercover officer near Belvidere Road in Grayslake. During that arrest, police recovered 56.4 grams of cocaine, prosecutors said.
In previous undercover buys spanning back to November 2023, Jefferson sold fentanyl and cocaine to undercover officers, Nerheim said.
Jefferson was charged with three Class X charges of manufacturing and delivery of cocaine, two Class 1 felony counts of manufacturing and delivery of fentanyl, three Class 1 felony counts of possession of cocaine, and two Class four felony counts of possession.
Nerheim ordered Jefferson detained until trial due his to being a “real and present danger” to the health and welfare of the people of Lake County.
Jefferson is due back in court on April 11.