Two Lake County men charged with selling fake Hydrocodone pills

Two Lake County men have been charged with trying to sell fake Hydrocodone pills through Craigslist to undercover police officers in Fox Lake, authorities said Thursday.

Thomas A. Brown, 20, of the 200 block of Milwaukee Avenue in Lake Villa, and Daniel Swan, 22, of the 200 block of East Grand Avenue in Fox Lake, have both been charged with unlawful possession of a look-a-like substance and unlawful possession of a look-a-like substance with intent to deliver following their arrest Dec. 30, Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Sara Balmes.

Brown also was charged with criminal damage to government supported property, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, resisting a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended, aggravated reckless driving, and various other moving vehicle citations, Balmes said.

Those charges were added after Brown tried to evade police capture just before his arrest, she said.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office received a tip from the McHenry Police Department about an advertisement of 120 Hydrocodone pills for $360 on Craigslist, Balmes said.

Detectives met Brown and Swan at the Fox Lake Walgreens at 61 North Route 12 to purchase the pills, Balmes said.

Brown and Swan were surrounded by police during the sale, but Brown rammed his 1999 Nissan minivan into an unmarked squad car in an attempt to evade arrest.

The Nissan was stopped a short time later, Balmes said, and Brown was taken into custody despite resisting arrest.

The pills were later determined to not be Hydrocodone, she said.

Brown was ordered held in Lake County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7. Swan was ordered held in Lake County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 29.