A man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after law enforcement arrested him and a woman after finding over $250,000 worth of drugs — over 115 pounds — and $116,000 in cash near Woodstock.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on August 26, 2022, in the 13800 block of Perkins Road in Woodstock.
The search recovered approximately 115 pounds of cannabis products and 640 grams of cocaine, prosecutors said in a motion.
The street value of the cannabis products was approximately $230,000 and the approximate street value of the cocaine was $27,400, prosecutors said.
A gun with a defaced serial number, various amounts of different ammunition, an “abundant amount” of packaging materials, a money counter, a vacuum sealer, digital scales and drug ledgers were also recovered.
Investigators found $116,399 in cash in various denominations.
The items recovered were found throughout the house and mostly in plain view.
Edgar Herrera, 36, who lives at the residence, admitted he intended to sell the cocaine and cannabis, prosecutors said, adding that the amount found was consistent with large-scale distribution.
He also admitted the gun was his and that he knew the serial number had been defaced, court documents said. Prosecutors said he also admitted to selling cocaine.
During the search warrant, Herrera obstructed justice by flushing cocaine down a toilet in his residence, according to a criminal complaint.
Investigators began investigating Herrera after identifying him as a suspected cocaine distributor operating within McHenry County, leading them to conduct extensive surveillance of both his residence and social media.
Herrera was arrested and charged with armed violence, possession of 400-900 grams of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of over 5,000 grams of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of over 5,000 grams of cannabis, possession of 400-900 grams of cannabis, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a defaced firearm and obstructing justice.
Herrera is a convicted felon after being convicted of residential burglary in Kane County.
Court records show Herrera entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class X felony. The rest of his charges were dismissed.
Herrera was sentenced to 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) pursuant to the agreement, which McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved.
“The distribution of cocaine and other dangerous narcotics devastates our communities. This significant sentence reflects the serious threat posed by large-scale drug dealers and demonstrates our commitment to aggressively prosecuting those who profit from distributing illegal drugs in McHenry County,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said after sentencing.
Herrera will be required to serve 75% of the sentence in accordance with truth-in-sentencing guidelines.
A second suspect, Ana M. Mendoza, 28, of Woodstock, was charged with possession of 400-900 grams of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of over 5,000 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver, possession of over 5,000 grams of cannabis and possession of 400-900 grams of cocaine.
She entered into a withholding judgment on the charge of possession of cannabis over 5,000 grams, a Class 1 felony, in November 2023 in exchange for two years of second-chance probation and 30 hours of public service.
Her case has since been terminated satisfactorily, court records show.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force, the Carpentersville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) worked together in the case.