Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Busted in Chicago

CHICAGO — Thirty-five individuals are facing criminal charges as part of a joint federal and state investigation into heroin and fentanyl trafficking in Chicago. The investigation, dubbed "Operation Road Rage," was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA).

According to the investigation, the defendants allegedly distributed heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin to customers in the Chicago area, with drivers dispatched to make deliveries after customers placed orders on a telephone hotline. The investigation was a multi-year effort, resulting in the seizure of a kilogram of heroin, most of which contained fentanyl, approximately $100,000 in cash, five firearms, and four vehicles.

Law enforcement officials announced the charges against the defendants, including 22 individuals charged with federal drug offenses and 13 individuals charged with state complaints. The federal defendants were arrested Thursday, and detention hearings will be held this week in federal court in Chicago. The state defendants have begun making initial appearances in Cook County Criminal Court.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Chicago Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty Wright and Shy Jackson represent the government in the case.

Fourteen federal defendants are charged in U.S.A. v. Robinson, et al (19 CR 201). The complaint describes a drug trafficking organization in which heroin hotline operators and dispatchers often referred to themselves as "Sean." Customers intending to purchase heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin called a designated telephone number operated by members of the "Sean" drug trafficking operation, the complaint states.

Undercover law enforcement officers disrupted the Sean organization by conducting approximately 50 narcotics purchases after calling the Sean phones and meeting with the distributors, according to the complaint. Charged with drug conspiracy are four individuals who, at various times, were responsible for dispatching the distributors: THOMAS CLEVELAND, 27, of Chicago, FREDERICK GILES, 26, of Chicago, AMELIA SMITH, 30, of Country Club Hills, and MICHAEL ROBINSON, 24, of Country Club Hills; as well as ten alleged distributors: WILLIE BLAIR, 32, of Chicago, LAWRENCE CLARK, 26, of Chicago, CARDELL COLEMAN, 21, of Chicago, JOLISA GAINES, 29, of Chicago, D'ANGELO GILES, 21, of Chicago, TYRELL KELLY, 27 of Chicago, KEITH MANNING, 27, of Bellwood, DEVONTE SMITH, 26, of Chicago, KAJUAN SMITH, 30, of Chicago, and DESMOND WHITE, 25, of Chicago.

Additionally, two federal defendants are charged in U.S.A. v. Chose, et al (19 CR 202). Charged with drug conspiracy are ANNA T. CHOSE, 54, of Morris, and ROXANNE E. CONN, 56, of Wilmington. The charges accuse the pair of being regular customers of the Sean drug trafficking organization. The complaint describes three instances in the summer of 2018 when Chose and Conn purchased distribution quantities of narcotics from Robinson, and alleges that they regularly purchased narcotics from the Sean organization.

The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kimberly M. Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney; Brian McKnight, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Gabriel L. Grchan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; Nicholas Roti, Director of HIDTA; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.

Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information about the defendants or the heroin and fentanyl trafficking operation to come forward.

The defendants are accused of participating in a large-scale heroin and fentanyl trafficking operation that distributed narcotics to customers in the Chicago area. The investigation is a significant blow to the heroin and fentanyl trafficking trade in Chicago, and law enforcement officials are hopeful that the charges will help to disrupt and dismantle the operation.

The defendants are facing serious charges, including conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and are at risk of significant prison time if convicted. The investigation is a testament to the commitment of law enforcement agencies to disrupting and dismantling the heroin and fentanyl trafficking trade in Chicago.

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