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The original item was published from 10/3/2019 10:42:40 AM to 11/1/2019 12:00:01 AM.

News Flash

Sheriff's Office News

Posted on: October 3, 2019

[ARCHIVED] Special Investigations Group Records Successful Three-Quarters of the Year

The Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group (formerly known as the Sheriff’s Gang Task Force) recorded a successful first three-quarters in 2019, seizing over $1,000,000.00 worth of illegal drugs.  This compares to seizures of approximately $750,000.00 in all of 2017 and $530,000.00 in all of 2018.

Shortly after being elected, Sheriff John Idleburg refocused the direction of the Special Investigations Group to aggressively investigate and arrest drug pushers, human traffickers, and those illegally selling firearms.

The Special Investigations Group is run by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and consists of numerous federal and local law-enforcement partners, who work collaboratively to investigate those who prey on our community.  

To date in 2019 the Special Investigations Group seized the following:

Illegally Possessed Firearms    40

Cannabis    Over 1,700 grams

Cannabis Plants    12

Cocaine (powder)    Over 8,300 grams

Cocaine (crack)    Over 90 grams

Ecstasy    24 pills

Heroin    Over 915 grams

Methamphetamine    4.9 grams

Illegally Possessed Prescription Pills    Over 340 pills

Additionally, this year the Special Investigations Group arrested a human trafficker and rescued a juvenile victim forced into prostitution.  

The following law-enforcement agencies are current members of the Special Investigations Group:

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)

Homeland Security (HSI)

Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office 

Lake County Forest Preserve Police

Grayslake Police Department

Gurnee Police Department 

Lake Villa Police Department

Lakemoor Police Department

North Chicago Police Department 

Park City Police Department

Wauconda Police Department

Zion Police Department

Sheriff John Idleburg said, “When I am in the community, I see and hear from others about the devastation drugs have on families.  When we collaborate and share law-enforcement resources we see great results for the community we serve.  We have no tolerance for criminals who choose to prey on our community, and the Special Investigations Group will proactively investigate and arrest those who make the poor choice to victimize others.”

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