Police: 2 men arrested in Crystal Lake with nearly $750K in fentanyl-meth mix

Police said two Chicago men were arrested in Crystal Lake in the possession of nearly $750,000 worth of methamphetamine mixed with fentanyl.

German Armenta-Ruiz, 59, of the 3000 block of South Troy Street, and Jesus Benitez-Estrada, 42, of the 3200 block of South Keeler Avenue, each face Class X felonies among their charges, which include possession of and intent to deliver more than 900 grams of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to criminal complaints filed in McHenry County court by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

Someone convicted of a Class X felony could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

Both men made an initial court appearance before Judge Carl Metz and were detained pretrial in the county jail.

In arguing they are a threat to the community and should be detained, Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Gregorowicz read from a report written by Sheriff’s Deputy Gabriela Valencia. The deputy said the men were in the possession of more than 16 pounds of methamphetamine mixed with fentanyl having a street value of $746,940.

Fentanyl often is mixed with other narcotics to increase its potency and has lead to many overdoses, some fatal, in recent years in McHenry County. This amount puts countless people at risk for overdose or addiction, she said.

Gregorowicz, who said the men were arrested by members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Narcotics Taskforce in the parking lot of a Motel 8, said no condition will keep the community safe. Even if restricted from leaving the state or put on home confinement, their customers could come to them to buy drugs, he said.

Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger argued neither man has a criminal history and scored low on a pretrial dangerousness evaluation. Both men are married, have jobs and wives and children to care for. He also argued that the state showed no evidence of where the drugs were found or of a sale of drugs or an attempt to sell the drugs. The state also has not shown any indication that they would sell drugs if released pretrial or that they even knew they were in possession of the drugs, he said.

The state also hasn’t shown that they were anything other than “unwitting couriers,” Giesinger said. “Dealers like to use people with little criminal background to transport drugs without their knowledge.”

In detaining the men, Metz noted the “sheer quantity” of narcotics the men are accused of possessing and the “lethal nature of fentanyl.” He said they pose a threat to the community and there are no conditions that could mitigate that threat.

Each man is due back in court Sept. 26.