Man used TV money to buy cocaine, police say

An Elgin man gave another man $150 Tuesday afternoon to help him buy a plasma television set, but the man used the money to buy cocaine instead, police said.

Stephen Sanders, 25, of 260 Center St. #17, Elgin and Earlie Span Jr., 43, of 286 Catherine Lane, Elgin, were both charged with disorderly conduct later, police said.

Wednesday morning, Span was arrested again on South State Street with a crack pipe in his pocket and was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Sanders told police he and Span were going to meet a man Tuesday afternoon who was going to sell him a plasma television set for $500.

When the man didn't show up, Sanders said he gave $150 to Span to help him get another plasma television set.

Instead, Sanders followed Span to 120 S. State St. where Span used the money to buy cocaine, police said.

At 2:01 p.m. Tuesday, Elgin police were called because police said Sanders armed with a knife was chasing Span down a hallway at 120 S. State St. yelling, "I'm going to kill you."

One Elgin Housing Authority employee witnessed the chase and another was bumped giving her a scratch on her left shoulder.

Elgin police took both men to the Elgin lockup where they were given notices to appear in Elgin Branch Court on Sept. 12.

Police also said they recovered a knife laying on a chair in a maintenance room at 120 S. State Street.

Police said they found Span again at 12:48 a.m. Wednesday wandering around the parking lot of a downtown grocery store with the crack pipe.

He was taken to the lockup again and was released with anther notice to appear.