March 29, 2024
Local News

Feds: Drug dealers face charges for Louis Joliet Mall gunfight

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CHICAGO – The suspects authorities allege engaged in a shootout with federal agents Tuesday at the Louis Joliet Mall have been formally charged.

Adan Godinez, 31, of Morris, and Fernando Godinez, 45, of Cicero, were each charged Thursday in U.S. District Court with conspiring to deliver cocaine.

Adan Godinez was charged with discharge of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and Fernando Godinez was charged with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

Authorities did not indicate if the suspects are related, but acknowledged Friday that their investigation has confirmed their surnames are spelled the same way.

About 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, the suspects brought two kilograms of cocaine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force officer who had arrived before them, according to DEA Special Agent Craig Schwartz.

Fernando Godinez parked his car near where the agent was waiting in the parking lot between JC Penney and Macy's and Adan Godinez got out, got in the agent's car and handed him four packages of cocaine, Schwartz wrote in an affidavit submitted to federal court.

"Shortly thereafter law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Adan and Fernando. During the approach to arrest them, Adan saw the officers approaching, got out of the [agent's] vehicle, pulled out a firearm [from his waistband] and shot at the officers," Schwartz wrote.

Agents returned fire, wounding Adan Godinez in the leg.

Police found a Sig Sauer P229 where Adan Godinez fell, and officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9 millimeter in the back waistband of Fernando Godinez's pants. Fernando Godinez also had another clip in his pocket, according to Schwartz.

The DEA first contacted Adan Godinez on Aug. 23 to discuss "some work," which law enforcement claims was a code for narcotics.

The agent reportedly met Adan Godinez at 11:18 a.m. Aug. 25 at "a fast food restaurant on West Eames Street in Channahon" where Adan Godinez offered to sell him cocaine at $36,000 a kilogram.

"The undercover [officer] then stated the price was a little high to which Adan replied that it was worth it," Schwartz wrote.

Police placed the silver Chevrolet Impala that Godinez drove to Channahon under surveillance and found it parked that night at a residence on North Division Street in Morris, according to Schwartz.

Adan Godinez drove his Impala to the mall where he met Fernando, who had brought a Chevrolet Trailblazer, Schwartz wrote.

Fernando Godinez was held Tuesday night at the Will County jail and sent Wednesday to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. Adan Godinez was released from Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet on Thursday afternoon and held at the jail until Friday morning, when he was also transferred to the Metropolitan Correctional Center.