Four charged with selling 'coke' at fast-food restaurant

By Dave Orrick

Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer

December 08, 2002

In what suburban officials say is one of the most brazen drug operations they've seen, four Lake County residents were jailed Saturday on charges they ran a cocaine ring and sold the product "to go" from the drive-through window of a Mundelein Burger King.

More than nine months of surveillance of the alleged operation culminated Friday night when authorities made a whopper of an undercover buy - one kilo of coke with an estimated street value of $300,000 - from the eatery's night manager, his wife and two former employees, authorities said Saturday.

"It was obviously going on every day," Mundelein Chief Raymond Rose said of the operation, which drew drug users and possibly dealers from throughout the Chicago region to the fast-food franchise on Midlothian Road south of Route 60/83.

According to Mundelein police and the anti-drug Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, here's how it worked:

Employees stashed various quantities of cocaine in clear plastic bags next to coffee creamers, milk and condiments in small refrigerators in the drive-through window area. "Customers" either phoned orders ahead or asked for certain employees at the drive-up ordering kiosk.

Without using code words, they specified an amount of cocaine over the microphone, pulled around to the window and paid the dealer-employee, who handed over the drugs in a Burger King paper bag.

Mundelein Sgt. Nick Poulos said quantities routinely sold that police documented ranged from less than a gram to more than an ounce. Friday night's kilogram deal went down in the parking lot, police say.

Throughout the course of the investigation, authorities were unable to reach the owner of the franchise, Poulos said.

Restaurant night manager Fabian Guzman, 21, his wife Niesha Molina, 24, his brother Raul Guzman, 20, all of 55 Shadow Lane in Mundelein, as well as Ricardo Sanchez, 36, of the first block of North Ridgemoor Avenue in Mundelein, were being held in Lake County jail Saturday after a judge ordered each held on $750,000 bond.

Each is charged with criminal drug conspiracy, a "super Class X" felony that carries a sentence range of 12 to 60 years in prison if convicted, as well as delivery and possession of a controlled substance.

Fabian Guzman worked the 4 p.m.-to-close shift as recently as Friday night, police said. Raul Guzman and Sanchez worked there until several months ago, when they were both fired for unrelated reasons.

Terry Lemming, director of Lake County MEG, and Rose said the investigation isn't over, and more arrests are likely.

Police first got wind of the alleged operation more than a year ago and began regular surveillance nine months ago, they said.

Over that time, Rose said "hundreds" of drive-through deals were observed, with customers ranging from casual users to suspected dealers.

Police declined to elaborate on evidence amassed by the surveillance.

Rose and Lemming also said other employees who may have known about the dealing and done nothing are being scrutinized.

A manager reached at the restaurant Saturday, who only identified herself as "Cindy" said, "No one in this store had any knowledge of this happening."

Lemming added that handling potentially deadly drugs next to food creates a potential public health hazard.

"When this guy touches cocaine, you think he washes his hands?" he said.

•Daily Herald staff writer Russell Lissau contributed to this report.

Charged: Authorities say others employees under scrutiny

Police: Workers at Mundelein Burger King sold cocaine

Associated Press
December 09, 2002

Customers at a Mundelein Burger King could order some cocaine with their Whoppers and fries, authorities say. Members of a drug ring working at the restaurant stashed various quantities of cocaine in plastic bags near milk, condiments and coffee creamers in a small refrigerator in the drive-through window area, according to Mundelein police and the anti-drug Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Customers would either phone before they came to pick up their orders or ask that particular employees serve them, police said. Upon arrival, customers would then request drugs over the eatery's drive-though microphone, pull around to the window and receive their cocaine in a Burger King paper bag, authorities said. Mundelein Police Chief Raymond Rose said the operation attracted drug users and perhaps drug dealers from throughout the Chicago area and that police witnessed "hundreds" of drive-through deals. "It was obviously going on every day," he said. Members of the alleged drug ring were arrested after an undercover officer bought, in the restaurant's parking lot, one kilo of cocaine with a street value of about $300,000, police said. Arrested Friday night on criminal drug conspiracy charges were the restaurant's night manager, Fabian Guzman, 21; his wife, Niesha Molina, 24; his brother, Raul Guzman, 20; and Ricardo Sanchez, 36. Police said Raul Guzman and Sanchez worked at the restaurant until they were fired several months ago. On Saturday a Lake County judge ordered each of the Mundelein residents held on $750,000 bond. The arrests came after police had the restaurant under surveillance for more than nine months, authorities said. People would purchase anywhere from a gram to more than an ounce at the drive-thru window, Mundelein Sgt. Nick Poulos said. Friday night's sale to police, authorities said, took place in the parking lot. Criminal drug conspiracy is a felony that carries a sentence of 12 to 60 years in prison. The four also are charged with delivery and possession of a controlled substance. Authorities say an investigation continues into whether other employees knew about the drug dealing.

3 plead guilty to selling drugs at restaurant

By Tony Gordon

Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer

April 08, 2003

Three of the four people accused of running a cocaine sales operation from a Mundelein fast-food restaurant pleaded guilty Monday in Lake County Circuit Court. The four were arrested Dec. 7 after a months-long sting by agents of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group ended with the sale of more than two pounds of the drug with an estimated value of $30,000. Fabian Guzman, 22, the night manager of the Burger King at 712 S. Midlothian Road, was taken into custody after police said he accepted $25,000 for the kilogram package of cocaine during a meeting in the restaurant parking lot. Guzman, his wife, Neisha Molina, 24, and his brother, Raul Guzman, 21, all of whom lived at 55 Shadow Lane, Mundelein, were arrested at the scene of the sale, as was Ricardo Sanchez, 26, of 21 N. Ridgemoor Ave., Mundelein. Assistant State's Attorney Amy Meister Falbe said both Guzmans and Sanchez were restaurant employees. They made dozens of smaller-quantity sales to undercover agents in the months leading up to the major deal, authorities said. On the night of the arrests, Fabian Guzman was meeting with an undercover agent in the agent's car in the restaurant parking lot, authorities said. Molina and Raul Guzman waited in a car across the street. Sanchez walked up to the car Molina and Raul Guzman occupied, took a plastic bag from the back seat and walked across the street and handed the bag to Fabian Guzman, Falbe said. All four were charged with delivery of cocaine and face up to 60 years if convicted after a trial. They have been in the Lake County jail on $750,000 bond since their arrests. Monday, prosecutors offered Fabian Guzman a prison sentence of 20 years if he agrees to plead guilty. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday to announce his decision. Sanchez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Molina pleaded guilty in exchange for 4¨ years behind bars. Raul Guzman, who prosecutors said played the smallest role in all of the ring's operations, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison. That sentence will be put on hold, however, and Raul Guzman will be turned over to the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service for immediate deportation to his native Mexico. Falbe said Raul Guzman will be forced to serve the prison sentence only if he returns to this country and is arrested. If that happens, he will also be subject to a mandatory 10-year federal prison term for re-entering the country after being deported. She said the other three defendants are also illegal immigrants and are likely to be deported after they have served their prison terms.

Man charged in fast food drug case pleads guilty

By Tony Gordon

Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer

April 24, 2003

The man police say was the force behind a drug operation based at a Mundelein fast food restaurant was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday. Fabian Guzman, 22, avoided a sentence of as many as 60 years by pleading guilty to delivery of cocaine and accepting the 20-year term negotiated with prosecutions. Guzman was the night manager of the Burger King at 712 S. Midlothian Road. He was arrested Dec. 7 after a months-long investigation by the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group. Guzman, his wife, Neshia Molina, 24, and his brother, Raul Guzman, 21, all of 55 Shadow Lane, Mundelein, were charged in the case, along with Ricardo Sanchez, 26, of 21 N. Ridgemoor Ave., Mundelein. Assistant State's Attorney Amy Meister Falbe said both Guzmans and Sanchez were restaurant employees. They made dozens of sales to undercover agents during the investigation, including some at the restaurant's drive-through window, Falbe said. On the night of the arrests, Fabian Guzman met with an undercover agent in the agent's car in the restaurant parking lot. Molina and Raul Guzman waited in a car across the street. Sanchez walked up to that car, took a black plastic bag from the back seat, walked across the street and handed the bag to Fabian Guzman. All four were arrested when Fabian Guzman accepted a $25,000 payment for the cocaine from the agent. Police said the cocaine had a street value of more than $100,000. All four illegal immigrants were charged with delivery of a controlled substance. Sanchez, Molina and Raul Guzman pleaded guilty during separate hearings April 7. Sanchez was sentenced to nine years in prison and Molina got 4¨ years. Raul Guzman received six years in prison, but his sentence was put on hold in favor of immediate deportation to his native Mexico. Falbe said the other three face deportation after they serve their prison terms. Raul Guzman will have to serve his sentence if he returns to this country.