Algonquin man charged in federal, state drug bust

An Algonquin man is among more than 50 people facing federal charges stemming from a joint federal and state investigation into heroin and fentanyl sales, according to a news release.

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Fat Chance,” targeted drug sales on Chicago's West Side and yielded more than six pounds of heroin, more than two pounds of cocaine and about half a pound of fentanyl. Authorities also seized eight illegal firearms, including a semi-automatic assault rifle with a drum-barrel magazine, and more than $100,000 in narcotics proceeds, the release stated.

The investigation shut down two open-air drug markets in the city’s North Lawndale and East Garfield Park neighborhoods.

Fifteen people face criminal drug charges filed with the U.S. District Court in Chicago. Two federal targets – including one Algonquin man – were arrested June 26, and several more were arrested Thursday. Authorities charged 42 additional people in state complaints, and several have begun making initial appearances in Cook County Criminal Court.

Facing federal charges are Darius Franklin, 34, of Algonquin and Jonathan Harris, 26, of Cicero.

Franklin and Harris are accused of delivering heroin to multiple people, according to the release. Agents searched Franklin’s "alleged stash house" and recovered more than four pounds of heroin and drug-packaging materials.

A reputed gang member, 26-year-old Chicago man Willie Kelley, also faces federal charges for allegedly managing heroin sales at an open-air drug market near the intersection of Lexington Street and Sacramento Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.

Another reputed gang member, Thomas Barfield, 36, of Chicago is accused of operating a drug-trafficking group that used street-level distributors known as "pack workers" to sell heroin and fentanyl to customers, according to the release.

Many of the deals were carried out at an open-air drug market near the intersection of Homan Avenue and Douglas Boulevard in Chicago, the complaints state.

Several members of Barfield's alleged organization were arrested, including Charelle Thompson, 28; Nicole Green, 34; Gloria Anderson, 60; and Thomas Smith, 65, all from Chicago. Quiera Walls, 35, and Jarvis Payne, 30, both from Chicago, are believed to have helped Barfield with packaging and distributing narcotics, according to the release.

From December 2017 to April 2018, police conducted numerous undercover drug buys from Smith, Anderson and the pack workers, who included Michael Jackson, 44; Anton Brown, 46; and Alfred Johnson, 54, all from Chicago. Last month, a search of Barfield's home and three suspected stash houses in Chicago's West Side revealed heroin, cocaine, a rifle, two handguns and drug-packaging materials, the release stated.

Federal complaints also describe an April narcotics sale in front of a grocery store in the 4400 block of West Armitage Avenue in the Hermosa neighborhood of Chicago.

Jose Hernandez, 48, of Chicago is accused of delivering about two pounds of cocaine to 36-year-old Obed Ornelas of Chicago.

The transaction happened in Ornelas' vehicle, but when officers tried to pull pull him over, he sped off and tossed the bag of cocaine out of the driver’s side window, the release stated.

Officers recovered the bag in the 2400 block of North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago.

The charges were announced by the following agency heads: U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr., Northern District of Illinois; Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Chicago; Special Agent in Charge Gabriel L. Grchan, IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly M. Foxx; and Superintendent Eddie Johnson of the Chicago Police Department. U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nani Gilkerson and Jeannice Appenteng.