A Waukegan man was arrested this month on charges that he sold cocaine numerous times to undercover police officers.
Michael Lewis, 41, of the 0-100 block of Maple Avenue, was taken into custody Wednesday by members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group, police said.
Police said that after they heard Lewis was selling cocaine, they purchased 30 grams from him via undercover buys. On Wednesday, after making a final buy, police attempted to take Lewis into custody. He tried to run away, but was apprehended, police said.
He has been charged with unlawful possession and distribution of cocaine, including a count of selling within 1,000 feet of a school.
Red-light program stopped
The village of Gurnee said it has discontinued its red-light camera program after 16 years.
The system improved traffic safety, but several issues prompted the village to not renew its contract with the operator, Redflex Traffic Systems, now known as Verra Mobility, Gurnee police said.
The camera system was installed at intersections with a high number of crashes, and police credited the system with reducing accidents by a third. The safer driving prompted by the cameras created a “halo effect” that improved safety on all village streets, the department said.
“This program was never about catching people, it was about protecting them,” Police Chief Brian Smith said. “And based on the data, it worked. Our roads became safer, and driver behavior improved not just at the camera locations, but throughout the village.”
The village cited vendor support and maintenance issues, as well as a desire to try different traffic approaches, as among the reasons for halting the program.
People who received citations on or before July 5 still must pay their fines, the department noted.
Police said they will continue to monitor traffic data, and may choose to reintroduce the cameras if necessary.
“This isn’t the end of our traffic safety efforts, it’s the beginning of a new chapter,” Smith said. “We remain committed to doing what’s best for Gurnee, and we’ll keep evolving to meet that promise.”
Gurnee announced recently that it will be increasing speeding enforcement throughout July as part of a statewide campaign.
Officers will be paying special attention to the areas of Grand Avenue, Hunt Club Road and Washington – locales where many speeding-related crashes occur, the village said.
“Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in careless and risky driving. No matter how safe of a driver you think you may be, speeding is dangerous. Speed limits aren’t a suggestion – they are the law,” GPD said in a media release.
Gunfire report leads to drugs
Police responding to reports of gunfire at a Gurnee area home did not find any firearms. But they did arrest the homeowner after discovering a cache of illegal drugs.
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The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it came to the home in the 18600 block of Highfield Drive at about 2:15 a.m. on July 5 after receiving gunshot reports. Officers found spent shell casings in the yard.
The resident, Nazareth T. Collins, declined to let officers search the home, so officers obtained a search warrant, police said. Police did not find any weapons, but they found illegal drugs, including 500 grams of cocaine. Collins was charged with nine felony drug counts.
Weapons charges may also be filed, police said.
Child porn charges
A Zion man is facing child pornography charges after police searched his residence and found illicit images, the sheriff’s office said.
Sergio Guillen, 23, of the 3000 block of Gabriel Avenue, was charged after he was taken into custody Tuesday.
Police said they began an investigation after receiving a tip from a cloud storage company that someone in Lake County had uploaded pornographic images to their server. After an investigation, police said they identified Guillen as the person responsible.
After obtaining a warrant, police searched his residence, using dogs that can detect electronic devices.
“These types of arrests highlight the ongoing threat these offenders pose to children and the importance of staying vigilant,’ Sheriff John Idleburg said. “Our team works tirelessly to protect kids, but prevention starts at home. Please have regular conversations with your children about the dangers of sharing personal information or inappropriate content online.”