Imprisoned man pleads guilty to drug charge in fatal overdose of Crystal Lake man

A man currently serving six years on a drug charge has been sentenced to five years in prison in a plea deal after he was charged with drug-induced homicide in the fatal 2021 overdose a Crystal Lake man.

Lucious T. Hemphill, 23, entered a guilty plea Friday before Judge Tiffany Davis to one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl. In exchange for the drug offense plea, the Class X felony charge of drug-induced homicide was dropped.

Hemphill was one of three men charged with drug-induced homicide in connection with the death of Colton Steiner, 27, who died from a fentanyl overdose on June 23, 2021, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

Hemphill’s sentence will run concurrently, or at the same time, with his 2021 charge. Hemphill is currently serving a six-year prison term on another fentanyl possession charge related to Steiner’s death and was charged last year with the more serious drug-induced homicide.

Also charged with drug-induced homicide in Steiner’s death were Ryan G. James, 28, of Crystal Lake, and Jacob A. Stealy, 27, of Crystal Lake. They had also been charged with calculated criminal drug conspiracy, which Hemphill was initially charged with as well. That charge was dismissed in exchange for Hemphill’s earlier guilty plea.

James pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver 1 to 15 grams of fentanyl, a Class 1 felony, and was sentenced to six years in prison. Stealy pleaded guilty to possession with intent to delivery 1 to 15 grams of fentanyl, a Class 1 felony, and was sentenced to four years of probation and 180 days in jail.

In exchange, more serious charges of drug-induced homicide and criminal drug conspiracy were dismissed, according to McHenry County court records.

In a crowd-sourcing post that raised more than $7,000 for his funeral, Steiner was described as having “such a kind, loving, sweet heart. He gave so much love into this world it’s insane, there was not one bad bone in his body. All he wanted to do was spread love and smiles, and that he did.”