Woman charged in drug bust pleads not guilty

A Lake County woman arrested three times for possession of heroin in less than two months pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Erica Moa, 22, faces up to nine years in prison if convicted in all three cases.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Bolling Haxall said Round Lake Park police investigating an attempted car burglary found Moa in a house at 96 Clifton Drive on Sept. 7.

A search of Moa's purse revealed a small tin foil package containing powdered heroin, Haxall said. Moa was arrested and released on a signature bond.

On Sept. 29, she was sitting in a car parked near Zion High School when a police officer stopped because the car was in a no parking zone.

Moa, who gave police an address in that city, was searched again and this time police found her with two syringes containing a brown liquid later identified as heroin. She was arrested and later released after paying her bond.

Moa was living in a motel room on Sheridan Road in Winthrop Harbor on Oct. 28 when police in that village served a search warrant on the room.

Moa was found inside along with several syringes and a small amount of heroin, and was arrested for the third time.

Now held on $25,000 bond, Moa was told by Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak on Thursday that any sentences she receives for the Sept. 29 and Oct. 28 arrests would have to be served consecutive to a sentence in the Sept. 7 arrest.

Potkonjak scheduled a trial of the case for Feb. 6 and ordered Moa to appear in court Jan. 21.