Antioch man charged with selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills
ANTIOCH, Ill. - A man is facing felony counterfeit drug trafficking charges after allegedly being found with fentanyl-laced pills and a gun in the north suburban Antioch.
Robert Julian, 19, was arrested Monday and charged with the possession and intent to sell fake pills.
After a seven-month investigation, detectives discovered Julian had been selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills that were made to resemble legitimate prescription medications, prosecutors said.
Julian was also suspected of selling fentanyl-laced pills that contributed to the overdose death of an Antioch resident last year, officials said.
On Monday at 3 p.m., police conducted a traffic stop on the car Julian was driving near Harden Street and Route 173.
Drugs and gun seized during a traffic stop Monday in Antioch | Lake County Sheriff's Office
Officers recovered a loaded 9mm pistol inside the vehicle along with 80 fake pills that tested positive for fentanyl, according to village officials. Officers also found over a gram of meth and other drug paraphernalia.
"The type of drugs that were taken off of our streets this week are the same type that has been responsible for the vast majority of overdoses our police department has been dealing with," Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said. "Antioch has no place in our hometown for criminals like this."
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Julian was charged with the following felonies:
- Possession with intent to distribute heroin/fentanyl
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine)
- Unlawful possession of a controlled substance (heroin/fentanyl)
- Unlawful possession of a controlled substance (Diazepam)
Julian could also face charges for unlawful possessing a loaded firearm, pending the results of crime lab testing.
A Lake County judge ordered Julian held on a $500,000 bond Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 3rd.