A police task force and a SWAT team arrested an alleged drug dealer in Fox Lake and raided a Round Lake home after the suspect was accused of selling cocaine throughout Lake County.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said investigators from the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group (LCMEG) obtained information regarding a crew that was selling drugs in Lake County.
The crew swapped phones and vehicles and made sales in the same locations.
An undercover officer was able to make contact with the crew and set up a series of buys between February and July.
Edward D. Meeks, 31, of Chicago, was identified as one of the members of the drug-selling crew who participated in multiple drug deals with the agent, McConnell said.
In February, the officer met up with Meeks at the Long Lake Metra station and gave him $250 in exchange for four plastic bags containing seven grams of cocaine, McConnell said.
That same month, another deal occurred on the north side parking lot of the Fox Lake Metra station where Meeks was allegedly one of the people in the vehicle that provided six plastic bags, containing 10 grams of cocaine, in exchange for $370.
In March, another undercover deal occurred with Meeks providing a bag of 9.75 grams of cocaine in exchange for $370 at the Fox Lake Metra station where a park was within 500 feet of the north parking lot, McConnell said.
There were 5-10 children at the Lakefront Park at the time of the transaction.
Another drug deal occurred at the same location later that month while 10-20 kids were present at the park.
In April, the undercover agent was told to go to the Jiffy Lube in Gurnee where Meeks was the one who conducted the deal with the agent. Meeks provided more cocaine in exchange for $220, McConnell said.
Meeks told the undercover agent to go to a nearby BP gas station to meet with another drug seller.
Later that month, two more drug transactions occurred at the Fox Lake Metra station where Meeks conducted the deals, McConnell said.
The agent provided a total of $745 for six bags of cocaine weighing over 21 grams of cocaine during those two deals.
Two more drug transactions occurred at the Fox Lake Metra station in June, with $770 provided in exchange for 21 grams of cocaine. Meeks was present in the car during both deals, McConnell said.
During one of the two June transactions, approximately 30 children were present at the Lakefront Park within 500 feet.
The agent called another number associated with the group later in June and was told to go to a BP gas station in Lake Villa.
McConnell said Meeks was inside the car when the agent arrived and the agent provided $500 for a bag of more than 18 grams of cocaine.
During a final transaction in July, the agent met with Meeks in a vehicle at a BP gas station in Round Lake.
The agent provided Meeks $620 in exchange for a bag of almost 19 grams of cocaine, McConnell said.
LCMEG obtained an arrest warrant last week for Meeks charging him with 28 felonies, including calculated criminal drug conspiracy, manufacturing or delivery of cocaine within 500 feet of a park, manufacturing or delivery of 15-100 grams of cocaine, among other charges.
The agent who had been involved in conducting the deals reached out to the crew to arrange another buy last Thursday.
Other investigators began planning to take Meeks into custody with the assistance of the Illinois State Police SWAT team.
McConnell said Meeks responded to the agent that he was willing to sell to the undercover and the two set up a meeting at the Fox Lake Metra station.
Meeks arrived at the location by himself driving a BMW. A third party got into Meeks’ vehicle and Meeks promised him cocaine for having previously done a favor for him, McConnell said.
McConnell said Meeks then saw one of the SWAT vehicles and told the witness that the police were there and directed him to get out of the car, which the man did.
LCMEG agents and ISP SWAT members then took Meeks into custody.
They found $777 in cash on his person, along with $585 inside the car and two large plastic bags that each contained over a dozen individually packaged crack rocks weighing a total of 46 grams, McConnell said.
Approximately 30-50 children were present at the public park within 300 feet of where the arranged buy was set to take place when police arrested Meeks.
LCMEG and ISP SWAT were seen the same day raiding a home at the Cambridge Courts mobile home park near Lunga Drive and Northwest Alma Circle in Round Lake.
Following his arrest, Meeks was additionally charged with manufacturing or delivery of 15-100 grams of cocaine, manufacturing or delivery of 15-100 grams of heroin and possession of 15-100 grams of cocaine.
Meeks has a lengthy criminal history involving drug offenses and has been sent to prison for drug and weapons offenses.
“This Defendant was working in concert with at least two other drug dealers to sell a substantial amount of cocaine to the residence of Lake County for at least the past five months, however, likely even longer. This Defendant further repeatedly sold cocaine to an undercover agent with close proximity of children playing,” McConnell said.
McConnell said Meeks sold cocaine to the undercover officer on 11 separate occasions and his two co-defendants sold to the undercover on five additional occasions.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to detain Meeks pending trial.
Meeks remains held in the Lake County Jail and a detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.