Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and 25 Firearms From Suburban Chicago Residences and Storage Unit; Two Individuals Arrested

CHICAGO - Federal law enforcement this week arrested two individuals after seizing multiple kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit.

A criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JAMES HOWARD, 32, of Frankfort, Ill., and SHANTEL ROBINSON, 31, of Oak Lawn, Ill., with drug conspiracy. Howard and Robinson were arrested on Thursday. They are scheduled to make initial appearances today in federal court in Chicago.

According to the complaint, law enforcement last week covertly discovered approximately 1.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and approximately 850 grams of suspected cocaine from a comforter blanket package that Howard had placed in the common area of Robinson's apartment complex. A subsequent court-authorized search of Robinson's apartment revealed that it contained multiple firearms and was being used as a drug laboratory, the complaint states. Law enforcement later conducted court-authorized searches of Howard's residence and a storage unit Robinson leased in Alsip, Ill., and discovered additional kilograms of suspected narcotics, drug manufacturing paraphernalia, additional firearms, and two packages containing Glock "conversion devices," which make handguns capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger, the complaint states.

The complaint and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, Will County Sheriff's Office, Justice, Ill. Police Department, Woodridge, Ill. Police Department, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Elmhurst, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Elgin, Ill. Police Department, Buffalo Grove, Ill. Police Department, Frankfort, Ill. Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Siegal and Minje Shin. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.