Man accused of selling drugs that killed 14-year-old Richmond-area boy who overdosed in January

An Antioch man is accused of selling fentanyl and xylazine to the mother of a Richmond-area teen who ingested it and died in January.

Jose Limas, 69, of the 27000 block of West Park Avenue is charged with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony. If convicted, Limas could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.

He appeared in a hearing Wednesday where Judge Carl Metz ordered he be detained in county jail pretrial.

Limas – a registered sex offender since 2015 when he was convicted in Lake County of aggravated criminal sex abuse of a child 13 to 16, according to the sex offender registry - is accused of selling fentanyl and xylazine to Cara Ullrich, whose 14-year-old son Trent, a Richmond-Burton High School student, ingested it while at his father’s home and died, authorities say.

Cara Ullrich, 45, and Eric Ullrich, 51, each are charged with first-degree murder among other charges in connection with their son’s death and are being held in McHenry County jail. Metz asked jailers that Limas have no contact with the Ullrichs while in the jail.

Trent Ullrich died Jan. 3 from an overdose of fentanyl and xylazine, according to the McHenry County coroner. If convicted, the Ullrichs could spend the rest of their lives in prison. Authorities said they found heroin, fentanyl and cocaine in various places throughout the house owned by Eric Ullrich.

Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Gregorowicz argued that Limas is dangerous and pretrial release with any conditions, including taking away his cellphone and tracking him with GPS, would not keep the community safe. However, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger argued the state’s case is “circumstantial.”

Gregorowicz alleged Limas uses women to help package and deal drugs out of his Antioch home. He uses cash apps to collect payments for drugs. Police found scales, drug paraphernalia, fentanyl and xylazine residue during a search of his home.

Gregorowicz said in court that in the months since the Ullrichs’ son died, one woman who lives at Limas’ house overdosed twice and multiple drugs were found in her system including cocaine, fentanyl, xylazine and heroin. Witnesses at the house confirmed it was his drugs that lead to the woman’s overdose, Gregorowicz said.

“He buys several hundreds of baggies at a time of cocaine and fentanyl,” Gregorowicz said. Gregorowicz alleged that Limas had at times exchanged sex for payment for drugs and sent women to Chicago weekly to buy large quantities of drugs for him to sell out of his house. He also prostitutes women, Gregorowicz said.

“He is a dealer,” Gregorowicz said, adding that Limas is a threat to “any woman” as well as the community as a whole. In referring to Cara Ullrich’s son, Gregorowicz said the “minor died from a mix of drugs [Limas] gave her.”

Giesinger, who said Limas works as a truck driver, said he questions the allegations that Limas is a drug dealer because he is not charged with drug possession. Police searched his house and did not find drugs and there are other people who live in the house, he said.

“This is a circumstantial case,” Giesinger said. “We don’t know where [Cara Ullrich] got those drugs from. We don’t know those drugs killed [Trent Ullrich].”

Gregorowicz responded that police found residue of xylazine and fentanyl on scales at Limas’ house, the same drugs found in the teen’s system.

In detaining Limas, Metz said the proof is evident and the presumption is great that the teen died from drugs that Cara Ullrich bought from Limas, pointing to cellphone messages Limas attempted to “scrub from his phone. ... The court finds he poses a real and present threat.”

Limas is due back in court July 30.