A Crystal Lake man was sentenced to six years in prison for selling heroin containing fentanyl to a woman shortly before he died of a drug overdose in Woodstock.
Lorachioe S. Sockwell, 53, of the 0-100 block of East Crystal Lake Avenue in Crystal Lake, has been charged with six counts of drug-induced homicide, unlawful possession of heroin with intent to deliver and two counts of unlawful possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver.
The Woodstock Police Department has begun investigating the death of Julia Saban, 40, of Woodstock on November 4, 2020.
Officers found Saban dead inside her residence and located hypodermic needles next to the woman, according to a motion filed by McHenry County Assistant District Attorney Ken Hudson.
An investigation revealed that Sockwell purchased hundreds of dollars worth of illegal narcotics in Chicago and sold portions of the drugs to Saban, Hudson said.
Toxicology reports showed Saban had 70 ng/ml of fentanyl in his blood at the time of his death. The therapeutic range for fentanyl consumption is 1-3 ng/ml.
A criminal complaint alleged that Sockwell delivered heroin containing fentanyl to Saban and injected some of it into his body, causing his death.
Sockwell was arrested on January 11, 2021.
Sockwell recently entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
He pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver, a Class 1 felony, in exchange for the rest of his charges being dismissed.
McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge approved the plea deal and sentenced Sockwell to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
“We’ve come so far over the past six years in cutting drug overdose deaths in half, and drug-induced homicide prosecutions are a big reason for that,” the county’s state attorney said. by McHenry, Patrick Kenneally.
“Very often the deceased, who has already paid the ultimate price, has been lied to by drug dealers, who have cut their product with fentanyl to increase supply without adding cost, on what they were buying “Kenneally said.
“No one ‘deserves’ to die from drug use, and traffickers who exploit our residents’ vulnerabilities for profit will be held strictly accountable,” he added.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local news website covering important issues such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more. around Lake County and McHenry County.
