9 Years In Prison For Man Convicted Of Delivering Heroin In Crystal Lake Man's Fatal Overdose

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A man who pleaded guilty to selling heroin, which was laced with fentanyl and led to a Crystal Lake man’s death, has been sentenced to nine years in prison.

Michael E. Sindowski, 51, of the 400 block of McHenry Avenue in Crystal Lake, was indicted on three counts of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and three counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Sindowski delivered a substance, which was less than 15 grams and contained fentanyl, to Mark R. Wiegert on May 7, 2020.

A grand jury indictment said the substance also contained heroin.

Wiegert, 49, of Crystal Lake, died a short time later after he ingested a portion of that fentanyl into his body, according to a Crystal Lake police detective who filed the complaint.

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A motion filed by McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle Bruett said that officers discovered a pill capsule containing fentanyl in Wiegert’s pant pocket when they found him.

An autopsy performed on Wiegert determined that he died as a result of adverse effects from heroin, fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl and alcohol.

Detectives discovered a conversation between Sindowski and Wiegert where Sindowski was offering to provide the pill capsule containing fentanyl to Wiegert at the Convenient Mart in Crystal Lake, Bruett said.

Sindowski was arrested on the warrant in November 2020 and has been held in the McHenry County Jail on a $500,000 bond since his arrest.

Earlier this month, Sindowski reached a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

He pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, in exchange for his other charges being dismissed.

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McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge approved the deal and sentenced Sindowski to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The case was investigated by Detective Eitel of the Crystal Lake Police Department and prosecuted by Kyle Bruett and Matthew Brodersen of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.