One of two Chicago men have been sentenced to 12 years in prison after police found them in possession of over 16 pounds of fentanyl and meth, worth almost $750,000, in McHenry County.
German A. Armenta-Ruiz, 59, of Chicago, and Jesus Benitez-Estrada, 43, of Chicago, were both charged in September with possession of meth over 900 grams, meth delivery over 900 grams, manufacturing or delivery of over 900 grams of fentanyl and possession of a controlled substance over 200 grams.
Prosecutors said that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office received a tip on September 19 of a large narcotics transaction planned to occur at the Super 8 Motel in Crystal Lake.
Members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force conducted surveillance at the motel and observed Armenta-Ruiz and Benitez-Estrada arrive at the motel.
Officers approached the car they were traveling in and after a police canine alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle, prosecutors said.
The men were asked to exit the vehicle and a search was conducted.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said nearly 16.5 pounds of a substance containing methamphetamine and fentanyl was recovered from the car.
The street value of the drugs is approximately $746,000.
The two men were arrested and transported to the McHenry County Jail.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to detain Armenta-Ruiz and Benitez-Estrada pending trial. Prosecutors argued the two pose a threat to the safety of the community.
McHenry County Judge Carl Metz granted the petitions to detain Armenta-Ruiz and Benitez-Estrada.
“The sheer quantity and lethal nature of fentanyl clearly demonstrates to the court that the defendant poses a threat to the safety of the community,” Metz said regarding both men.
Court records show Armenta-Ruiz entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state’s attorney’s office this week.
He pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine over 900 grams, a Class X felony, in exchange for a 12-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said she commends the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, including the Narcotics Task Force that worked on the case, for their “continued relentless and productive work in combating the illicit sale and trafficking of narcotics in McHenry County.”
The case against Benitez-Estrada remains ongoing and he is scheduled to appear in court again on May 13 for a final trial status hearing.