A Woodstock man with four prior drug felonies is accused of selling cocaine out of his home after authorities say police repeatedly stopped people leaving the house with drugs they had bought from him.
Troy M. Knutson, 55, of Woodstock, was charged with unlawful possession with intent to deliver 15 to 100 grams of cocaine, a Class X felony, along with unlawful possession of 15 to 100 grams of cocaine, a Class 1 felony, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office searched Knutson’s home in the 500 block of Highland Avenue in Woodstock on the evening of August 28.
People had been stopped on several occasions after leaving the home and told police they had purchased narcotics from Knutson, court documents said.
Multiple people were stopped on different days with cocaine they had allegedly bought from Knutson, court documents said.
Court documents said one person was found with $10,000 in cash after meeting with Knutson in his vehicle.
Another person was stopped after allegedly selling cocaine to Knutson at his home, court documents said.
Investigators found 27.3 grams of cocaine, three glass smoking devices with residue that tested positive for cocaine and numerous baggies used to sell or store narcotics during the search of the home.
Knutson was also allegedly in possession of 11 peach pills identified as Adderall, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court.
He was taken into custody and transported to the McHenry County Jail.
Knutson appeared for an Initial Appearance Court hearing and McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller filed a petition to detain him pending trial, arguing his release would pose a real and present threat to the safety of the community.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the petition following the hearing and Knutson was ordered detained pending trial.
Lamb said GPS monitoring would only keep Knutson away from specific locations but people have been stopped leaving his home with drugs he allegedly sold them, leaving no specific location to keep him away from.
Lamb said electronic monitoring would not work either because Knutson’s network would bring drugs to him and his buyers would come to him.
Knutson pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing and demanded a jury trial.
Four other people indicted alongside Knutson on charges of unlawful possession of cocaine, a Class 4 felony, were released with pre-trial conditions.
Knutson has had numerous contacts with police in which he possessed drugs or drug paraphernalia, prosecutors said.
He has eight criminal convictions, four of them drug-related felonies, including two for manufacturing or delivering cocaine, one for possession of a controlled substance and one for criminal drug conspiracy.
His record also includes two domestic battery cases and two convictions for driving while license suspended.
The indictment said Knutson is eligible for extended-term sentencing because of a prior conviction under the Controlled Substances Act.
“This Defendant is unwilling, unable or simply refuses to abide by court orders and cannot stop possessing, ingesting or distributing illicit substances to others,” Lamb said in her ruling.
Knutson is scheduled to appear in court again on November 3 for a status hearing on setting a trial date.