Elgin man accused of five ecstasy deals with undercover police

A 25-year-old Elgin man was charged this week with orchestrating five ecstasy deals with undercover police earlier this year.

Brandon S. Ledbetter, of the 600 block of Orange Street, was arrested by Elgin police Sunday and later charged with manufacture/delivery of 5 to 15 grams of ecstasy, three counts of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, and delivery of a look-alike substance within 1,000 feet of a school, according to police and Kane County court records.

An Elgin police report stated that an undercover officer paid $200 for 1.6 grams of what Ledbetter said was ecstasy Feb. 20 in the parking lot of a hotel on the 400 block of Airport Road.

The drugs tested negative for the presence of MDMA, an abbreviation for the chemical commonly known as ecstasy, the report said, but selling look-alike substances also is a felony, and the deal was within 1,000 feet of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 525 Church St.

Ledbetter was paid $200 by an undercover officer for 1.5 grams of ecstasy outside his residence Feb. 24 and on March 4 had a female friend bring 3 grams to an undercover officer for $400, police said.

Two more deals for $400 and $500 worth of drugs were completed March 14 and 28 in Ledbetter's driveway, police said.

The drug sales were recorded on video and the drugs bought in the last four deals tested positive for MDMA, the report said.

Ledbetter was being held on $100,000 bail and is due in court Friday.