10 years prison for dealer in 2016 fatal Kaneville fentanyl overdose
A Chicago man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for selling a Kaneville Township man a fatal dose of fentanyl in spring 2016.
Aaron Moore, 30, of the 1800 block of North Mayfield Avenue, had been free on bond after pleading guilty in August to one count of drug-induced homicide, a felony that carried a prison term of six to 30 years.
Moore and another woman, Catherine N. Smith, were arrested and charged in October 2016 with providing the lethal drugs to Richard Gregorie, 34, whose body was found in April 2016 at a house on the 46W500 block of Main Street in unincorporated Kane County. Gregorie was Smith's husband.
Moore, who received probation for felony drug offenses in 2007 and 2014 in Cook County, had entered a "cold" or "blind" plea in Gregorie's death. Instead of leaving his sentence in the hands of Kane County Judge James Hallock, Moore came to an agreement with prosecutors for the 10-year term.
Under state law, Moore must serve 75 percent of the sentence; he gets credit for seven days served at the Kane County jail until he posted bond.
Kane County Assistant State's Attorney William Engerman, the lead prosecutor in the cases against Moore and Smith, said Smith and Gregorie drove to Chicago to buy what they thought was heroin from Moore. They returned to Kane County, ingested it, and Gregorie died from fentanyl.
Engerman said Gregorie's family members were supportive of the 10-year prison term.
"They represented to me that they thought the agreement was fair," Engerman said. "We're holding somebody accountable who is selling an illegal and extremely dangerous product. I hope this will deter somebody from selling drugs."
Overdose deaths from fentanyl and heroin are on the rise in Kane County, the suburbs and nation. Kane County is on pace for 72 overdose deaths this year, up from 67 overdose deaths in 2017 and more than double the 32 overdose deaths in 2016.
Smith, 31, who now lives in Ottawa, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to four years probation. She also served nearly six months in jail.
Prosecutors sought to have her probation revoked because she had not completed counseling and other treatment.
Her attorney Don Zuelke presented documentation in court that Smith had attended a medical appointment Aug. 24, took a court-mandated drug test Aug. 27 and completed an Aug. 30 assessment, according to court records.
Smith must attend three other appointments before her next court date, Nov. 2. If she violates probation, she could be resentenced to up to seven years in prison.