Man Busted With 6o Bags Of Heroin In Crystal Lake Found Guilty: Authorities

By Sam Borcia, Lake & McHenry County Scanner

An Antioch man was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of possessing almost 60 bags of heroin which were recovered during a traffic stop search in Crystal Lake.

Derek Schwantner, 33, of Antioch, was found guilty of unlawful possession with intent to deliver heroin, a Class 1 felony, and possession of heroin, a Class 4 felony. Schwantner was pulled over by officers with the Crystal Lake Police Department on August 9, 2021.

Prosecutors said the man had no driver’s license or insurance.

A search of Schwantner’s vehicle revealed that he had 55 bags of heroin in the center console, prosecutors said. Schwantner also had four cell phones and $457 in cash.

Crystal Lake Police Department Detective Michael Maloney testified that the amount of heroin that Schwantner had was considerably more than a drug user would have for their own personal use.

Maloney said that based on the amount of heroin, its packaging and the other evidence, it was clear that Schwantner was engaged in dealing heroin.

The jury returned guilty verdicts Tuesday on Schwantner’s criminal charges and also found him guilty of the traffic offenses.

Schwanter will be sentenced by McHenry County Judge James Cowlin on October 6.

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.