Four suburban men face drug trafficking charges
An Elgin man and his two sons, as well as an Addison man, all are facing felony drug trafficking charges after an investigation that led to the recovery of seven kilograms of heroin, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin announced Friday.
Luis Hernandez, 47, of the 200 block of Comstock Drive, Elgin, and his two sons, Jose Hernandez, 27, and Andres Hernandez, 24, both of the 10 block of Lynch Street, Elgin, each were charged with one count of unlawful manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.
They all appeared in bond court on July 25. Bond for Luis Hernandez was set at $700,000; his sons' bond was set at $1 million each. All three would have to pay 10 percent to be released while trial is pending; they are set to appear in front of Judge John Kinsella on Aug. 25.
A fourth man, Orlando Pacheco-Ramos, 28, of the 400 block of Stevens, Addison, was charged with one count of unlawful manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and traffic offenses. He appeared in bond court on July 26. His bond is set at $700,000, which he must pay in full to be released while his trial is pending. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 18 in front of Judge Blanche Hill Fawell.
The charges stemmed from an investigation that led to the recovery of seven kilograms of heroin with a street value of $700,000, Berlin said in a news release.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations received a tip on July 23 related to an out-of-state currency seizure, the news release said. The next day, agents and police officers put an Elgin residence related to the currency seizure under surveillance, the release added.
Later on July 24, the four men conducted a drug transaction in Addison, Berlin said. A traffic stop was conducted on Pacheco-Ramos' vehicle, and officers recovered the seven kilograms of heroin, the release said.
Each of the four men face could face up to 15 to 60 years in prison if convicted.
The investigation was a coordinated effort involving the state's attorney's office, the Addison Police Department, Elgin Police Department's Special Investigations Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, Berlin said.