Aurora Teen Learns Prison Sentence For Illegal Sale Of Cocaine, Possession Of Firearms: Police

AURORA, IL — An Aurora teenager with gang ties was sentenced to six years in prison following a conviction tied to police recovering 13 firearms and illegal narcotics during a search warrant in April 2025, officials said Monday.

Early last year, Aurora Police Department investigators developed information that indicated Eric Rosales, 18, was involved in the sale of illegal narcotics within the city and was believed to have firearms in his possession.

When investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of Gates Street, they recovered 13 firearms — including AR-15-style rifles, a sawed-off rifle, shotguns and handguns — plus a 100-round drum magazine, and nearly 90 grams of cocaine, cannabis and THC cartridges. Police said one of the handguns was equipped with a device that allowed it to fire fully automatically, and another had been previously reported stolen.

Rosales was charged with eight felony charges, including delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a machine gun. As part of a negotiated plea, he pleaded guilty to manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. The remaining charges were resolved.

Rosales received credit for the 204 days served in the Kane County jail. He was also sentenced to 18 months of mandatory supervised release and was assessed a fine of $11,795, court documents show.

The teenager had no prior criminal convictions, police said.

"This case underscores the Aurora Police Department's continued commitment to disrupting illegal drug activity and removing dangerous weapons from our community," Chief Matt Thomas said in a statement. "The officers and investigators involved demonstrated outstanding teamwork and attention to detail, and their efforts directly contributed to making our community safer."