Guns, Drugs Seized From Frankfort Home; 2 Face Conspiracy Charges: U.S. Attorney

FRANKFORT, IL — A Frankfort man has been charged with drug conspiracy after federal law enforcement seized fentanyl and firearms from his home, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Friday.

James Howard, 32, of Frankfort, and Shantel Robinson, 31, of Oak Lawn, were both arrested Thursday, after federal law enforcement seized multiple kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit, according to a news release.

According to the complaint, law enforcement covertly discovered about 1.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and about 850 grams of suspected cocaine from a comforter blanket package that Howard had placed in the common area of Robinson’s apartment complex. A court-authorized search of Robinson’s apartment then revealed that it contained multiple firearms and was being used as a drug laboratory, the complaint states.

Court-authorized searches of Howard’s residence and a storage unit Robinson leased in Alsip were conducted, and police found 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.

According to a release, assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, Will County Sheriff’s Office, Justice Police Department, Woodridge Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Elmhurst Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Elgin Police Department, Buffalo Grove Police Department, Frankfort Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to a release.