Will County CPAT Bust Nabs Couple Selling Heroin, Pills

This story was written by Patch Editor Karen Sorensen

A Joliet man and his girlfriend were arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with selling heroin and prescription pills to undercover Will County police officers.

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An investigation was conducted for the last few of months by the Will County Cooperative Police Assistance Team culminated with a search warrant that was executed Tuesday at the 1108 Campbell St. home of Joseph Richard Fender, 27, said Illinois State Police Sgt. Wayne Ladd, director of Will County CPAT.

When the team, accompanied by members of the Joliet Police Department, did not find Fender at home, they went to the 304 Barr Elms Ave. home of his girlfriend, Heather M. Brown, 24, Ladd said.

Fender opened the door when police rang the bell, and was taken into custody, he said. When Brown came to the door a short time later, she was arrested as well.

While no drugs were recovered at either house, Fender sold heroin to undercover officers on several occasions this spring and Brown did the same with narcotic prescription pills, Ladd said.

Fender was charged with four counts of other amount schedule I and II and Brown with two counts of other amount schedule III.

Ladd said he would describe the pair as mid-level dealers.

Both are being held in the Will County jail pending a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon.

According to jail and court records, Fender was arrested in 2008 and charged with manufacture/delivery of less than 500 grams of cannabis and in 2009 on a misdemeanor theft charge.

Brown also has a criminal record, with arrests for possession of a controlled substance in 2012 and manufacture/delivery of one to 15 grams of cocaine in 2008.