On July 4, 2019, at approximately 1:00AM, Lake County Sheriff’s Correctional Officers were conducting a secondary search of inmate Tony Howard, 33, of the 400 block of Sweet Clover Road, Round Lake.  Howard had been arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail late in the day on July 3, 2019, on a Failure to Appear Arrest Warrant for Criminal Trespass to Residence.

During the secondary intake search, Howard was found to be concealing a small baggie, containing an unknown substance, wedged in his buttocks.  Howard was ordered by Correctional Officers to turn the baggie over.  Instead, Howard removed the baggie from his buttocks and quickly swallowed it. 

Due to not knowing what was contained in the baggie, paramedics were summoned, and Howard was transported to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan for evaluation.  After being evaluated, Howard was released back into the custody of Correctional Officers.  

Howard was subsequently charged by Sheriff’s Detectives with one count of Obstructing Justice (Class 4 Felony), for his actions of bringing contraband into a penal institution and destroying the contraband when ordered to turn it over.

Howard remains held in the Lake County Jail and is next due in court on July 10, 2019, at 9:00AM in courtroom T710.

Sheriff Idleburg reminds the community all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.