Volo man gets probation in overdose death

A man was sentenced to 30 months probation Wednesday for admitting he participated in a drug deal that led to the overdose death of a 19-year-old Lake Zurich woman.

Sean Campbell, 22, of Volo, also was sentenced to 30 months of periodic imprisonment in the Lake County jail. He'll be freed from the jail for drug treatment or work.

Lake County Circuit Judge Fred Foreman ordered Campbell to pay a $2,000 fine and perform 250 hours of public service as part of the probationary sentence he handed down at a hearing Wednesday.

Campbell could have received a maximum of 7 years in prison for pleading guilty to delivery of a controlled substance. Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Scott Hoffert dropped a more serious charge of drug-induced homicide in exchange for the guilty plea.

Prosecutors said Campbell, of the 100 block of Terra Firma Lane, agreed to drive another man and Kelly Gawron to Chicago on Dec. 4, 2008, so she could buy heroin.

After making contact with the dealer, Gawron used her money to pay for the heroin and the dealer handed four capsules full of the drug to Campbell, according to prosecutors. Campbell then gave two capsules to Gawron.

Hoffert said Gawron inhaled the contents of one heroin capsule while in the car with Campbell and the other man. He said authorities believe Gawron inhaled the second capsule's contents after arriving home, and her father found her unresponsive in her bedroom about 6:30 a.m. Dec. 5.

As part of his 30-month probation term, Campbell must write a letter of apology to Gawron's parents, but otherwise have no contact with her family, Hoffert said. He said he read victim-impact statements from Gawron's parents into the record at Wednesday's sentencing hearing.