A convicted felon allegedly sold drugs while her children were with her and was later found with drugs and a loaded gun in her motel room in North Chicago where her two children were living.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) went to the Red Carpet Inn, 3207 Buckley Road in North Chicago, on Thursday.
Officers were searching for Brittany M. Mahoney, 40, of North Chicago, who had an active warrant for her arrest.
Court records show she was charged with manufacturing or delivery of cocaine, a Class 1 felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony, on July 11.
Officers went to Mahoney’s motel room and members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group (SIG) located approximately 10 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Officers also found a loaded semi-automatic pistol in the room.
Mahoney is a convicted felon from a prior conviction for forgery out of Cook County.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Savannah Halcomb said Mahoney admitted to officers that the gun and drugs were there before they entered the room, which she consented to.
Covelli said there were two children inside the room with Mahoney and they had “free access” to both the firearm and drugs, which were all left unsecured.
The children were turned over to a responsible adult and the Department of Children and Family Services was notified of the situation.
During one of the drug deals, officers observed Mahoney’s children in the car with her while the transaction took place, Halcomb said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the new information upon her arrest on the warrant and approved additional charges of felon in possession of a weapon, manufacturing or delivery of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment.
“The fact that she is a felon who is not allowed to possess a weapon and still has one, the fact that she is continually dealing and possessing drugs, and the fact that she’s doing both of these things at the same time with her minor children in the same hotel room,” Halcomb said.
The state’s attorney’s office filed a petition to detain Mahoney pending trial and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition following a detention hearing.
Mahoney remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 6 for a preliminary hearing.