Street Gang Bust Nets 10 Arrests, 4 Kilos Of Cocaine: Sheriff

LAKE COUNTY, IL. — The dismantling of a Lake County street gang by a sheriff’s office special investigations unit successfully stopped at least two planned drive-by shootings in the county over the past year and resulted in the seizure of guns and more than 4,000 grams of cocaine, police said Thursday.

Lake County Sheriff John Idelburg announced that the unit, working in conjunction with ATF officials and other agencies, took 10 members of the Satan's Disciples street gang into custody on Wednesday.

Those arrested on Wednesday included Quentin Newbrey, 31, Zion, Carl P. Marder-Grant, 27, Waukegan, Darryl Benjamin, 38, Waukegan, Gilberto Alvarado-Cuen, 29, Park City, Anthony Brown, 39, Lake Villa and Eric W. Gragen, 39, Kenosha, Wis.

All of those arrested were charged with various weapons and drug charges. The Wisconsin man was wanted in Kenosha on weapons charges, police said. Four other people were arrested on federal warrants in connections with the investigation, police said.

The U.S. Attorney announced on Thursday that Robert Spurlock, 36, Beach Lake, Kurt Nash, Jr., Milwaukee, Rafael Alvarez-Murillo, 27, Waukegan, and Jason Najera-Prado, 31, Waukegan, have been charged with various drug and/or weapons charges as part of the investigation.

Spurlock, Alvarez-Murillo, and Najera-Prado were previously convicted of felonies and were not lawfully allowed to possess firearms, authorities said. Spurlock, Nash, and Najera-Prado pleaded not guilty during arraignments Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. Arraignment for Alvarez-Murillo will be scheduled at a later date.

The four either have been or will be transferred to Federal Bureau of Prison’s Metropolitan Correctional Center for federal detention hearings, police said. In addition to the weapons and cocaine seized, police also seized more than 170 grams of methamphetamine.

The investigation into the gang began more than a year ago, Idelburg said in a news release. He said that the gang was involved in drug trafficking and violent acts throughout the county. Officers were able to seize 15 guns and ammunition during the investigation and, the sheriff said, were able to keep the drive-by shootings from taking place.

In one case, Idelburg said that one of the planned drive-by shootings involved a residence where several people were gathered at the time, which could have resulted in several causalities, the release said.

“This is precisely the reason we have refocused the efforts of our Special Investigations Group toward investigating and arresting violent drug traffickers,” Idelburg said in the release. “The tireless work of our detectives and partner agencies undoubtedly stopped instances of cold-blooded murder from taking place in our county.

"I could not be prouder of the hard work of our detectives, and I am incredibly thankful for the terrific partnerships we have with our local and federal partners. It is this type of collaboration that will continue dismantling the ability of gangs being able to operate in Lake County and keep our community safe.”