The sheriff says a Round Lake Park woman is facing additional charges for selling drugs out of her home to undercover informants following her arrest during a traffic stop in Fox Lake this week.
Candice M. Wedge, 32, of Round Lake Park, was charged on Wednesday with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, a Class X felony; unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony; unlawful possession of a controlled substance being pills, a Class 3; and unlawful possession of a controlled substance being pills, a Class 4 felony.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG) conducted an investigation into Wedge late last year into early this year.
SIG detectives found Wedge was selling drugs out of her Round Lake Park home to undercover informants, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
The SIG conducted a search warrant in February and recovered cocaine, prescription pills belonging to someone else and drug paraphernalia.
Covelli said the investigation was continuing following the warrant search but after Wedge’s recent arrest, SIG detectives screened the case with the Lake County State Attorney’s Office and they approved the charges.
The Fox Lake Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a black SUV around 10:48 p.m. Monday in the area of Cambridge Parkway and Route 134.
Fox Lake Police Department Sgt. Rick Howell said the SUV was stopped for traffic violations.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said the vehicle was weaving between lanes.
Wedge was the driver and appeared “very nervous” while being deceptive in her answers to the officer’s questions during the stop, Howell said.
The Round Lake Park Police Department’s canine unit was called and an open-air sniff of the vehicle was conducted.
Howell said the canine alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. Wedge and the vehicle were searched by police officers.
Approximately three grams of suspected crack cocaine were discovered on Wedge’s person, along with a significant amount of cash.
Approximately 60 grams of suspected crack cocaine were discovered in the vehicle, along with multiple pieces of drug paraphernalia commonly used to ingest and store narcotics, Howell said.
Cannon said the drugs were under the driver’s seat in a plastic bag containing individually wrapped plastic baggies.
Wedge was arrested by the Fox Lake Police Department and the narcotics and drug paraphernalia were seized as evidence.
The vehicle and currency were also seized under the Illinois Drug Asset Forfeiture Procedure Act pending court approval.
Wedge was charged by Fox Lake police with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a class X felony; unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor.
Wedge was transported to the Fox Lake Police Department and later transferred to the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan for a First Appearance Court hearing on Tuesday morning.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Wedge pending trial and a judge granted the petition and ordered her held in custody.
She is scheduled to appear for another detention hearing on the new charges on Friday afternoon.