Harvard man attempted to hide baggies of cocaine, fentanyl in air duct, authorities allege

Police who searched a Harvard man’s home Monday said they found baggies of fentanyl and cocaine hidden in an air duct in his bedroom.

Gregorio Pena, 40, of the 5900 block of Island Road, is charged with the possession and manufacturing and delivery of 15 to 100 grams of cocaine and 15 to 100 grams of fentanyl, Class X felonies. He also is charged with being a felon in possession of or using a weapon, possession of a controlled substance and obstructing justice, according to the criminal complaint filed in the McHenry County court.

About 5 p.m. Monday, McHenry County sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at Pena’s house, according to the complaint, where he “knowingly concealed physical evidence in that [Pena] concealed six individually packaged bags of cocaine/fentanyl inside the air duct of his bedroom.”

According to the complaint, Pena was in the possession of a pair of black brass knuckles, which is in violation of his status as a convicted felon. In 2017, he was convicted of unlawful possession with intent to deliver between 1 and 15 grams of cocaine, authorities said. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

At a detention hearing Tuesday, he was denied pretrial release and was detained in the county jail. Gregorio is due in court May 16.