28 ARRESTED IN
COUNTYWIDE SWEEP
By Chris Brenner Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
Warrant arrests: Most wanted
on drug charges
Twenty-eight people were
arrested in Lake County Tuesday during a
cooperative effort by Lake County law
enforcement agencies to apprehend drug-law
fugitives, authorities said. "Some of those
arrested face prison terms of six to 30
years if convicted," said Terry Lemming,
director of the Metropolitan Enforcement
Group. Eighty-five federal, state, county
and municipal police officers located and
arrested the fugitives. Lemming said those
arrested "have consciously elected to become
a fugitive rather than face our legal system
of justice." Lake County Sheriff Gary Del Re
and Lake County State's Attorney Michael
Waller helped coordinate the execution of
warrants, Lemming said. "Our efforts against
drug dealers continue from investigation to
assuring fugitives are brought to justice,"
Waller said in a prepared statement. "Like
our past efforts indicated, the prosecution
of drug offenders will receive a high
priority in Lake County law enforcement."
The warrant arrests will "continue on an
unannounced basis throughout Lake County,"
said sheriff's Sgt. Bert Foster, the
warrants division supervisor.
Those arrested, and the
charges, were:
Tia Jordan, Wauconda,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance.
Jason Clark, Lake Villa,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance.
Shiela Roberson, Waukegan,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance with intent to deliver.
Thomas Plath, Waukegan,
unlawful possession of a a controlled
substance.
Carrie Smith, Spring Green,
Wis., unlawful possession of a controlled
substance.
Donald Jones, Waukegan,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance with intent to deliver.
Agnes Jackson, North Chicago,
unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Christopher Calhoun,
Waukegan, two charges of unlawful possession
of a controlled substance.
Sergio Cordova, Waukegan, two
warrants for driving on a suspended license
and aggravated battery and resisting
for reportedly kicking the arresting officer
during the operation.
Roger Barnes, North Chicago,
forgery.
Fred Hoye, Zion, possession
of 30 grams or less of marijuana.
John Blair, North Chicago,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance.
Eddie Coleman, North Chicago,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance.
Jose Flores, Waukegan,
unlawful possession of controlled substance.
Anthony Kindle, North
Chicago, unlawful delivery of a controlled
substance.
Christopher Maggett,
Waukegan, possession of 30 grams or less of
marijuana and resisting arrest.
Anna Eskew, Zion, unlawful
possession of a controlled substance.
Kenta Frison, Waukegan,
obstructing justice.
Angela Washington, Zion,
criminal damage to property.
Charles Warren, Zion,
unlawful possession of a controlled
substance and delivery of a controlled
substance.
Devoght Holman, Chicago,
escape.
Jorge Rodriguez, Waukegan,
disorderly conduct.
Brian James, North Chicago,
possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.
Jeffrey Nixon, Round Lake
Beach, unlawful possession of a controlled
substance.
Charles Hurley, Lake Zurich,
production of marijuana.
Jabar Coleman, North Chicago,
theft and retail theft.
Gaboris Williams, Waukegan,
reckless driving and driving on a suspended
license.
Jawan Floyd, Waukegan,
unlawful use of weapons by a felon and no
firearms owner's identification card.
Participating in the
operation were Antioch, Barrington Hills,
Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, FBI, Fox Lake,
Grayslake, Great Lakes, Gurnee, Hawthorn
Woods, Highland Park, Highwood, Illinois
State Police, Immigration and Naturalization
Service, Kildeer, Lake Bluff, Lake County
Sheriff's Department, Lake County state's
attorney's office, Lake Forest, Lake Villa,
Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Lincolnshire,
Mundelein, North Central Narcotics Task
Force, North Chicago, Park City, Round Lake
Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park,
Vernon Hills, Waukegan, Wauconda, Winthrop
Harbor and Zion.
Lake County police on trail of fugitives
By Tony Gordon
Daily Herald Legal Affairs
Writer
October 12, 2002
Now we know why they are
called fugitives. Early Friday morning
police began searching Lake County for about
140 people who appear to have forgotten
appointments with the legal system - a legal
system that has not forgotten them. About 75
officers from local departments and the FBI
participated in "Operation First Light,"
aimed at bringing in people with outstanding
arrest warrants. The warrant sweep is
becoming something of an annual fall event
coordinated by the Lake County Metropolitan
Enforcement Group and the Lake County
sheriff's office. "We are looking for people
charged with all types of crimes," MEG
Director Terry Lemming said, "everything
from drugs, to battery to burglary and
beyond." The hunting went slowly as the day
opened, but gathered steam as the morning
played out. Shawanda Brown, 19, was found at
her home at 1517 Glen Drive in North Chicago
and taken into custody on an aggravated
assault charge. Charles Smith, 26, is wanted
on a possession of cocaine charge but is
already in jail on other charges, so the
warrant was brought there to him. Others are
in the wind. Out of state. Not here right
now. Living with their sisters. Just out.
Deported. Dead. "Let's face it, if these
people were easy to find, they would already
be in jail," Lemming said. "One of the
reasons we hold these sweeps every so often
is to let people know we haven't given up."
Sheriff Gary Del Re said all of the recent
discussions on jail crowding may have
created a false sense of security in some
criminal circles. "While it is true that we
have an overcrowding problem in the jail, it
is also true there are no free passes for
criminals," Del Re said. "We will continue
the job of seeking out the people who commit
crimes and bringing them to justice, and if
the jail is crowded we will find them a
place." By midday, 15 of the wanted had been
rounded up and many of the search teams were
being sent back to their law enforcement
departments. Del Re said the warrants
division of his department works year-round
in seeking fugitives and the long arm of the
law will continue to search for those wanted
but not found Friday.
