Schaumburg officers nab alleged heroin supplier

An alleged gang member from Palatine has been arrested by Schaumburg police, who said he sold large quantities of heroin to an undercover officer.

Keith D. Williams, 21, of the 800 block of Lilly Lane, was charged with seven counts of delivery of a controlled substance. He was arrested Friday near the intersection of Woodfield Road and Route 53, police Sgt. John Nebl said.

Williams was denied bond Monday and is being held in Cook County Jail.

Nebl said Schaumburg police had investigated Williams for two months with help from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area unit.

During that time, undercover officers reportedly purchased or seized 70 grams of heroin, 3 grams of cocaine, 51 Ecstasy pills and 4 grams of marijuana from Williams, Nebl said. These drugs have a combined street value of about $15,000.

From the very beginning, investigators believed they were on to a major supplier who would deliver to the undercover officer on multiple occasions if not arrested the first time, Nebl said.

"Frankly, it helps put a better case together," he added. "We were pretty confident that this person was a major dealer."

That the judge granted no bond to Williams was seen as a sign that the initial case was persuasive, Nebl said.

The charges against Williams included five felony counts of delivery of a controlled substance and two felony counts of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school.

Heroin sales in this quantity are extremely rare, Nebl said, adding there have been several heroin-related overdose deaths in the Northwest suburbs in the past couple years.

Williams is due back in court April 3.