Man denies cocaine sales to cop
A Round Lake Beach man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he sold cocaine to an undercover police officer four times.
Rene Fernandez, 41, faces a mandatory prison sentence of six to 30 years if convicted of delivery of a controlled substance.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Rod Drobinski said Fernandez, of the 1300 block of Barberry Lane, sold the drugs to an undercover agent of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group.
On Jan. 7 and Jan. 27, Drobinski said, Fernandez met the agent in the 1300 block of Cedar Lake Road and sold him a little less than five grams of cocaine each time for $120.
Fernandez sold the agent about half an ounce of cocaine on Jan. 28 at the same location for $500, Drobinski said.
The agent then asked Fernandez to sell him four ounces of the drug for $4,000, Drobinski said. However, when Fernandez showed up for their meeting on Feb. 25, he had only two ounces with him.
Drobinski said Fernandez handed the agent a plastic bag containing the cocaine and the agent signaled other police waiting nearby to take Fernandez into custody.
Circuit Judge Daniel Shanes scheduled a trial of the case for May 9 and ordered Fernandez to appear in court April 21.