Teens Try To Pass Pancake Mix Off As Cocaine In Undercover Bust: Police

ELGIN, IL — Two Elgin drug dealers were arrested this week after they tried to pass pancake mix off as cocaine and sold it to undercover police officers, according to media reports. Rafael Osorio Jr., of the 600 block of Hampton Circle, and Jaime Anselmo, 19, of the 300 block of Ann Street in Elgin, were taken into custody Wednesday evening. The arrest came following a months-long investigation into the teens, police said Friday.

During the investigation, Osorio allegedly sold drugs to undercover officers on three separate occasions. During the fourth and final transaction on Wednesday, Anselmo joined Osorio and tried to sell drugs that were later determined to be a box of pancake mix.

The pancake mix, which was packaged to look like a large amount of cocaine, had a price tag of $27,000, according to the Elgin Courier-News. Officers arranged to buy 1 kilogram of the drug prior to the meetup at an Elgin park. Once inside the undercover officer's car, Anselmo allegedly showed him a square package wrapped in tape, which police later learned was the pancake mix.

Osorio remains in custody on a $200,000 bond. He is charged with three counts of unlawful delivery of controlled substance, a class X felony; unlawful delivery of controlled substance, a class 2 felony; and unlawful manufacture/distribute, advertise or possess with intent a lookalike substance, a class 3 felony.

Meanwhile, bond was set at $20,000 for Anselmo. He is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a class 2 felony, and one count of unlawful manufacture/distribute, advertise or possess with intent a lookalike substance, a class 3 felony.

"This complex case involved a mix of many divisions within Elgin PD which is always a recipe for success," Chief Jeffrey Swoboda said in a statement. "On a serious investigation like this, we will never short stack our efforts."

Photo via the Elgin Police Department