A 26-year-old West Chicago man was denied pre-trial release after being charged with supplying fentanyl to a woman who susequently died in an overdose.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and West Chicago Chief of Police Colin Fleury announced today that Judge Joshua Dieden granted the State’s motion to detain the suspect pre-trial after he was charged with one count of Drug Induced Homicide (a Class X Felony) and one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance – Fentanyl (a Class 2 Felony).
According to prosecutors, on June 25, 2024, at approximately 8:24 p.m., West Chicago police officers were called to the 400 block of West Washington Street where they found a female lying unresponsive in a bed. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Officers located a blue powdery substance, later identified as fentanyl, on a coffee table near the kitchen area.
A pathology report indicated that the victim died of a combination of fentanyl and 7-aminoclonazepam toxicity. The victim had been prescribed 7-aminoclonazepam.
Prosecutors allege that the evening before the incident the suspect went to the victim’s residence and supplied her with a fatal dose of fentanyl, which she then ingested.
On October 1, 2024, West Chicago police officers arrested the suspect.
“The tragic death of the victim in this case is yet another terrible reminder of the extreme danger illegal narcotics, particularly fentanyl, continue to be in our communities,” Berlin said. “According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is up to fifty times stronger than heroin and one hundred times stronger than morphine. Last year, more than 81 thousand overdose deaths were reported nationwide, with Illinois contributing 3,272 to that total.
“This senseless loss of life must stop, and one way to stop it is to hold those who supply fatal doses of narcotics responsible. A dealer, a friend or even a family member may think twice about supplying this poison knowing that they will be looking at a significant amount of time behind bars if they are the proven source of a fatal overdose.
“I offer my sincerest condolences to the victim’s family and friends as they continue their lives without the love and friendship she once provided them. I thank the West Chicago Police Department and the DuPage County Metropolitan Enforcement Group for their outstanding work in the identification and apprehension of the defendant in this case.”
The suspect’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 28 for arraignment in front of Judge Brian Telander.
