Man Questioned 'Quality' of Heroin Prior to OD Death: Report

ST. CHARLES, IL — A 25-year-old St. Charles man questioned the quality of the heroin he purchased from an Elgin drug dealer in April before he injected it into his veins, court documents show. Hours later, Trevor Brubaker, 25, was found dead in his home in the 6N100 block of Florence Lane in St. Charles Township. A recently unsealed Kane County search warrant revealed that an investigation shows Brubaker met Jose A. Charles, of the 600 block of Dixon Avenue in Elgin, at a gas station in Hanover Park at about 6:13 p.m. on April 4, according to the Daily Herald report.

Surveillance video from the gas station allegedly shows Charles, who has been charged with drug-induced homicide for providing the fentanyl-laced heroin to Brubaker, getting into Brubaker's friend's white pick-up truck at the Hanover Park location. Authorities say text message between Charles and Brubaker, who rode with his friend to the location, linked Charles to Brubaker's overdose death, the Daily Herald reports.

"Trevor questioned the quality prior to injecting the substance into his veins because he didn't want to damage his veins. Jose confirmed the quality of the narcotic,"according to the affidavit. Brubaker was found dead at his St. Charles Township home hours later at about 1:25 a.m. April 5.

• Man Faces Drug-Induced Homicide Charge In Overdose Death

Charles is charged with drug-induced homicide, possession of a controlled substance and manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and remains in custody at the Kane County Jail on a $500,000 bail, according to online jail records. He is next expected in court on July 11.

Brubaker, who was survived by his parents and two sisters, was remembered by family and friends during a celebration of life service in April, according to his obituary. He enjoyed playing video games, listening to music, watching anime, the game of basketball and traveling. His favorite pastime, according to his obituary,"was spending time with his family and friends and he will be dearly missed."

Brubaker's death was investigated as part of the Kane County Sheriff's Office's Anti-Heroin Initiative. The initiative seeks to curb narcotic trafficking by charging heroin traffickers in drug-related homicides.

"Through enforcement initiatives targeting those who choose to traffic drugs in our community, along with medically assisted treatment and addiction counseling in the Kane County jail, we are aggressively setting the pace for how public safety combats this deadly epidemic in our community," Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said.

More via the Daily Herald

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