A 41-year-old North Chicago man is sitting in the Lake County Jail after prosecutors say a months-long investigation caught him selling cocaine from his home, with more than 173 grams ultimately seized. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to detain him, and he is scheduled to return to court on July 15.
Undercover Buys Led To A Traffic Stop
According to Lake and McHenry County Scanner, Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigators used a confidential source who bought an ounce of cocaine for $800 from the man on March 12, then made a second $800 ounce buy on March 20. Both times, the source met the suspect in his garage.
After the March 20 deal, officers stopped a white truck near Green Bay Road and Argonne Drive and recovered a small plastic baggie. Crime lab testing confirmed the substance in the baggie was cocaine, prosecutors said.
Searches, Seizures And Court Action
Investigators then carried out a follow-up search that, prosecutors say, turned up the same $800 the informant had used, along with a compressed plastic bag filled with white powder. In total, officers seized more than 173 grams of cocaine and about 1.59 grams of methamphetamine.
Charges filed in late April include manufacturing or delivery of cocaine over 100 grams, two counts of manufacturing or delivery over 15 grams, and possession. At a detention hearing, an assistant state’s attorney described the defendant as “dangerous,” according to Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
Where This Arrest Fits In Lake County’s Drug Crackdown
Officials say the case is the latest high-volume bust for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group, a HIDTA-funded task force that reported a record year in 2025. The team seized more than 37 pounds of cocaine along with other large stashes of narcotics that year, according to a Lake County news release.
The task force regularly works with federal partners and focuses on undercover buys and larger trafficking networks, county officials have said.
What The Charges Mean
The counts filed in this case are felonies under Illinois’ Controlled Substances Act, which sets sentencing ranges and potential enhancements that depend on the type and quantity of the drug, along with other circumstances.
The defendant, identified in court records as Ceja, remains detained pending trial. He is due back in a Lake County courtroom on July 15 as the case continues to move through the system.
