4 charged in drug, theft ring in Streator – Shaw Local

Four Streator men were charged Tuesday with the rarely charged felony charge of criminal drug conspiracy. Streator police said other suspects in a drug and theft ring would also be charged.

Keith R. Gullens, 34, is charged with seven counts of masterminding a calculated criminal drug conspiracy, a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison. He is also charged with Class

David L. Miller, 35, was charged with two drug offenses plus an arrest warrant issued by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Miller was released on parole in April after serving a 12-year prison sentence on drug charges.

Gullens and Miller are both being held Province of La Salle Jail sentence pending detention hearings. Two more men were dragged in La Salle County Circuit Court with crimes arising from the same operation.

Darryl D. Gullens, 38, and Robert L. Phillips, 49, are both charged with a calculated criminal drug conspiracy. They are also all charged with Class

Phillips was also recently released on parole. He was released from the DOC shortly before Memorial Day after serving part of a 35-year prison sentence for cocaine.

Details such as the amounts of contraband seized were expected to be announced during detention hearings starting Wednesday, when Keith Gullens and David Miller were scheduled to appear before Judge Michael C. Jansz.

Streator police hinted at multiple arrests to come when a Tuesday press release revealed that five search warrants were executed “in and around Streator” on Monday, resulting in the seizure of multiple firearms and other contraband.

“To date, this ongoing investigation into the production and sale of controlled substances and organized shoplifting/burglaries has affected not only Streator, but also La Salle, Livingston, Marshall And Grundy counties,” Streator police said. “There have been two arrests, eight firearms (mostly stolen) recovered, as well as tens of thousands of stolen property also recovered.

“It should come as no surprise that some of those involved are among our city’s most prolific and persistent (accused) criminals.”

At least four people were charged with shoplifting on Tuesday. An announcement was awaited from the La Salle County Prosecutor’s Office as to whether the four (and counting) were operating under the direction of the alleged ringleaders.

The last time La Salle County authorities made mass arrests on charges of criminal drug conspiracy was in 2008, when the “Da Hittaz” drug gang was broken up.

Leaders Calvin and Clarence Merritte were later convicted of criminal drug conspiracy after prosecutors showed an elaborate distribution scheme that employed an ever-changing series of safe houses, vehicles and couriers to transport drugs from Chicago to Chicago. Ottawa and Streator.

A total of thirteen people were then charged with a criminal drug conspiracy, although most pleaded for reductions in the number of crimes in exchange for avoiding double-digit prison sentences.