Drug Dealer Who Could've 'Ended Countless Lives' Arrested: Police

LAKE COUNTY, IL — A 22-year-old Mundelein man found with thousands of fentanyl-laced pills that, if distributed, "had the ability to end countless lives," has been arrested, authorities said.

Oscar Pena, who is accused of selling guns and illegal narcotics, was taken into custody following an investigation by local police and state and federal agents, according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office

“This drug trafficker had the ability to end countless lives with the fentanyl laced pills he was trying to distribute throughout the region," Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.

During the undercover probe, investigators acquired three guns, 15 grams of cocaine and 2,500 fentanyl-laced pills from Pena, according to authorities. On Friday, authorities searched Pena's home in the 1000 block of Concord Circle in Mundelein and found 5,500 fentanyl-laced pills packaged for distribution, a gun and a large quantity of ammunition, according to the news release.

Pena, 22, remains behind bars at the Lake County Jail. His bail has been set at $1.5 million.

He faces charges of armed violence, gun running, possession of a defaced firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, three counts of unlawful possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver, found counts of unlawful possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver and eight counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.