California man sentenced to 10 years for fentanyl charge in Bureau County

Alejandro Valencia Jr., 25, of California was sentenced to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for unlawful possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony.

On Jan. 9, 2020, members of the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team stopped a vehicle on Interstate 80, and the driver was identified as Valencia.

A search of the vehicle was conducted, and a substance that was later determined to contain fentanyl was found in a fabricated hidden compartment. Tri-DENT also identified evidence of the intent to deliver the fentanyl, the state’s attorney’s office said.

The case was heard by Bureau County Judge James Andreoni and presented by State’s Attorney Thomas Briddick on Oct. 6.