Fox Lake man admits heroin possession

A Fox Lake man was placed on probation for two years Monday after he admitted his role in an aborted heroin sale.

James Flory, 32, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance during a hearing before Lake County Circuit Judge Fred Foreman.

Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Hoffert said an undercover informant working with the Lake County sheriff’s office contacted Flory on Aug. 17 and said he wanted to buy some heroin.

Flory, of the first block of Nippersink Boulevard, scheduled a meeting for 8:45 p.m. the same day in a restaurant parking lot on Route 12.

The informant was in the parking lot, along with undercover sheriff’s deputies, when Flory arrived on a bicycle, Hoffert said.

Flory had a plastic bag inside his mouth containing five smaller bags with a total weight of one-half gram of heroin, Hoffert said.

Flory was about to sell the bag to the informant for $100, Hoffert said, when he spotted the undercover police who were in the lot and spit the bag on the ground.

Police took Flory into custody without incident and he was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, as well as unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Hoffert said he agreed to drop the more serious delivery-based charge in exchange for Flory’s plea to the possession charge.

Foreman also ordered Flory to pay $600 in fines and to perform 50 hours of public service.