Four Pounds of Heroin Seized in Fayette County

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Published on August 18 2017 3:53 pm
Last Updated on August 18 2017 3:57 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Four pounds of heroin was seized by a District 12 Illinois State Police trooper Thursday morning. The street value of the heroin is approximately $648,000.

The trooper was patrolling I-70, east of Vandalia, just before 11am and initiated a traffic stop on a SUV for improper lane usage. The heroin was discovered during a search of the vehicle.

The driver, 54-year-old Rosario Gonzalez of San Diego, California, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, controlled substance trafficking and improper lane usage. Gonzalez is being held at Fayette County Jail in Vandalia. In court Friday morning, bond for Gonzalez was set at $750,000. Gonzalez plans to hire his own attorney. A hearing on the status of the attorney hiring will take place on Monday. A preliminary hearing for Gonzalez is set for September 15.

Fayette County State's Attorney Joshua Morrison and the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force assisted with the investigation.

“The end-effect those trafficking illicit drugs has on families can be devastating,” said ISP District 12 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt. “This is an example of good police work, putting solid training and experience to use, benefitting our communities,” he added.