20 years for Elgin man in heroin bust
An Elgin man is headed to prison for 20 years for his role in a July 2014 heroin deal gone bad in Addison that also involved his father and brother.
Jose Hernandez, 28, of the 10 block of Lynch Street, was sentenced by DuPage County Judge John Kinsella who earlier this year found Hernandez guilty of unlawful delivery of more than seven kilograms of heroin. The street value of the drugs was estimated by federal agents as $1.4 million.
Kinsella, who could have sentenced Hernandez to up to 60 years in prison, said he took into consideration that Hernandez's brother and father each were sentenced to six years after pleading guilty in the same case.
"I can't ignore the more serious notion that someone could bring seven kilograms of poison into this community, only for it to be split, cut and distributed to our young people," Kinsella said. "For that, you should be ashamed. I don't know how you look in the mirror and say I'm putting something into my community that kills people."
During both trial and sentencing, prosecutors alleged Hernandez acted as "counter-surveillance" on July 24, 2014, as his father Luis Hernandez, 48, of the 200 block of Comstock Drive, Elgin, and his brother, Andres Hernandez, 25, also of the 10 block of Lynch Street, delivered nearly 15 pounds of heroin from Elgin to a fourth man, Orlando Pacheco-Ramos, 28, of the 400 block of Stevens Road, in a shopping center parking lot near Irving Park and Rohlwing roads in Addison.
Pacheco-Ramos remains charged with unlawful manufacture or delivery of more than seven kilograms of heroin and traffic offenses.
The amount of heroin taken off the streets in this case is enormous," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. "Heroin dealing is a multimillion dollar business and to be successful in our fight against this extremely dangerous drug we must address both the supply and demand. Our efforts to educate the public about the dangers of heroin, thereby reducing demand, have ramped up over the past several years."
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations agents received a tip on July 23, 2014, related to an out-of-state currency seizure in Arkansas. The next day, agents and police officers put Jose and Andres Hernandez's Elgin residence under surveillance.
Several agents testified during the trial and sentencing hearing that Jose and Andres Hernandez left their home on the afternoon of July 24 and drove to a townhouse development where they met their father, Luis Hernandez.
Agents watching the men said Andres Hernandez got into a Chevy Impala driven by his father and drove more than 20 miles to the Addison parking lot. During the entire trip, they testified, Jose Hernandez followed directly behind the Impala in a Chevy Cruze, later found to have an aftermarket hidden compartment installed in the dash.
Officers said that the Impala entered the shopping center parking lot first and was soon joined by the Cruze, which Jose Hernandez parked about 30 feet ahead of the Impala.
A man believed to be Andres Hernandez exited the Impala and took a large bag from the trunk and placed it in the back seat, where Pacheco-Ramos had entered the car. After a few minutes, the Impala drove around the corner where, agents say, Pacheco-Ramos took the bag containing 7 kilograms of pure heroin and put it in his red two-door Hyundai.
Police then stopped Pacheco-Ramos' vehicle and made the arrest.
The Hernandez brothers were arrested at their Elgin home after stopping for dinner at a Hanover Park restaurant.
Because of the amount of heroin involved, Hernandez must serve 75 percent of his sentence before being eligible for the three years of parole included in his sentence.
Pacheco-Ramos' next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning, also before Kinsella.