Woodridge drug dealer gets 20 years

A Woodridge man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for operating a Chicago-area drug ring.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Thursday the sentencing of Dorian Luzaj, 29, of the 6300 block of Winston Drive.

Thursday morning, Luzaj entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of cannabis trafficking in front of Judge Robert Kleeman, who handed down the sentence.

Luzaj, who has been in custody since May 20, 2010, will be required to serve 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

Luzaj was the leader of a drug ring with ties to California that was responsible for the distribution of more than 600 pounds of cannabis per month to other dealers throughout the area.

On May 20, 2010, Luzaj, along with 11 others, were arrested on drug conspiracy charges.

The charges were the result of a seven-month investigation conducted by the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office in conjunction with the state attorney general’s office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group and several local law enforcement agencies. Dubbed “Operation Chicago Haze,” the efforts resulted in 12 arrests and the seizure of approximately $1 million, 11 vehicles and five weapons.

“Today’s sentencing is the culmination of a great deal of outstanding work by law enforcement at all levels,” Berlin said. “As I have said in the past, drug dealers do not recognize boundaries, and to be successful in our fight against drug dealers, it is critical that we all work together.”