A judge sentenced a man, who reportedly tried fleeing the country before his arrest, to six years in prison for the drug homicide of a 17-year-old boy, who was a Woodstock North High School student.
Carlos M. Paiz, 20, of Wonder Lake, was charged in April 2025 with one count of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Paiz unlawfully delivered a controlled substance, being MDMA, to Brenden Roewer, 17, of Wonder Lake, sometime on October 24, 2024, or October 25, 2024.
Roewer ingested the drugs and it resulted in his death, according to the complaint.
Paramedics and police arrived at his home in the 9400 block of Creekside Drive and confirmed he was deceased around 7:40 a.m. on October 25, 2024.
An obituary for Roewer said the boy was “taken from us far too soon.”
“He brought immeasurable joy and light into our lives with his kind heart, charming smile, beautiful unique soul, and boundless curiosity,” the obituary said.
Roewer attended Woodstock North High School and planned to get into the trade and become an electrician after high school.
“Brenden was such a great big brother. His little brothers will miss the times of playing video games together, having sleepovers in his room, and fishing at the pond by their house,” his obituary said.
Court documents said Paiz advertised the drugs he had for sale on the internet, sold them to minors and indicated he knew what happened to Roewer but there was nothing he could do about it.
Court documents also said Paiz posted photos of himself with various drugs online and continued to sell them even after Roewer’s death.
An arrest warrant was issued for Paiz in late April 2025.
Paiz has lived in the area for his whole life with his father but his father had since left the country and was living in Guatemala, court documents said.
Paiz was arrested on the warrant while at the airport in Miami, Florida, with his passport.
“The men and women of the Wonder Lake Police Department offer our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. Our agency remains committed to pursue justice and hold those who commit crimes responsible for their actions,” Wonder Lake Police Chief Kyle Mandernack said when Paiz was arrested.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Paiz pending trial after he was transferred back to McHenry County.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the request and said that Paiz posed a danger to the community and was a willful flight risk.
“GPS will not work as this defendant can sell his substances to children from his home, as he has been shown to have done this in the past and specifically in this case. Home monitoring would not keep him from selling substances to children from his home as he advertises and has his customers come to him,” Lamb said.
Court records show Paiz entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state’s attorney’s office on Wednesday.
He pleaded guilty to one count of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt approved the plea deal and sentenced Paiz to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the agreement.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said after the hearing that her office has an “unwavering commitment” to pursuing those who profit from deadly drugs.
“This case represents exactly why we treat overdose deaths as homicide investigations. When drug dealers choose to sell dangerous, illegal substances, they are putting lives at risk—and in this case, it cost a young man his life,” Freese said.
“In our county, we investigate every overdose death and will aggressively prosecute those who deliver fatal illegal drugs. Let this case put drug dealers on notice: in McHenry County, those who distribute lethal narcotics will be identified, charged, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” she said.