Illinois Teenager Accused of Selling ‘Fentanyl-Laced’ Pills Disguised as Prescription Medications

An Illinois teenager has been arrested for allegedly selling “fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills that were intended to resemble legitimate prescription medications,” according to police.

The Village of Antioch Police announced they had Robert Julian, 19, on felony drug charges, describing the arrest “as part of its ongoing battle against the trafficking of deadly counterfeit pills.”

Police say Julian, a resident of the 1000 block of Victoria Street in Antioch, was arrested on suspicion of selling “fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills believed to have been connected to an overdose death of an Antioch resident” the year before.

After police obtained an arrest warrant, the post notes, Julian was taken into custody in the course of a traffic stop. Police allegedly also found a pistol, 80 fentanyl pills, over a gram of methamphetamine, and “several pieces of drug paraphernalia” in the vehicle.

Julian was ultimately charged with one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance for fentanyl, one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance for methamphetamine, and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance for diazepam, according to police.

A record from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office indicates Julian is being held in Lake County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow is quoted in the department’s post as saying the drugs allegedly found in Julian’s vehicle have driven the “vast majority” of recent overdoses in the area, adding, “Antioch has no place in our hometown for criminals like this.”

He added that other means of combatting problems associated with opioid use, such as community outreach, are complements to — but not substitutes for — arresting those who traffick in these drugs.

“Although the department continues to use community outreach and education to save lives, such as our recent opioid awareness fair, and the distribution of Narcan, the Antioch Police Department remains 100% committed to bringing to justice those who decide to sell this poison in our community,” Guttschow is quoted as saying in the Antioch Police post. “The hard work of the members of our department not only took a drug dealer and drugs off the streets of our town, but it also took a handgun away from a criminal. Drugs and guns together can have deadly implications. It’s safe to say, our officers saved lives with this arrest.”