Crime & Safety

Man Who Sold Drugs from his Plainfield Home Gets 3 Years

Vaughn Falkenberry pleaded guilty to his role in a drug ring from which police netted about $750,000 in drugs, cash and weapons.

A man who helped run a drug ring out of his Plainfield home three years ago will serve three years in prison.

Vaughn A. Falkenberry, 38, formerly of the 24000 block of Norwood Drive, now of Naperville, pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance in Will County Circuit Court Wednesday, according to a story published by the Naperville Sun. He was sentenced by Judge Richard Schoensted.

Falkenberry was one of five people involved in the drug-selling operation from which more than 54,000 grams of cannabis, 20 grams of cocaine, a stolen 9-mm handgun, a .44-caliber handgun, a carbon pistol rifle and a safe with $26,000 were recovered, the story said.

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The Will County Cooperative Police Assistance Team, which made the arrests in 2008 following a year-long investigation, pegged the overall value at about $750,000.

Falkenberry was arrested after he made cocaine sales that were witnessed by police, team director Tim Zych said in 2008. He was charged with manufacture or delivery of between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine, a Class X felony that was reduced in exchange for his guilty plea, according to the Sun article.

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Falkenberry shared the Plainfield house Minh D. Vo, 36, who was arrested after he sold cocaine to a police officer.

Also arrested in connection with the drug ring were Christopher Lopez, now 37, of Berwyn, Victor D. Darwish, now 37, of Plainfield, and Wendy M. Benavides, now 36, of Frankfort, the story said.

Vo was sentenced earlier this year to six years in prison for possession of 15 grams or more of cocaine, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records. Darwish is serving three years for manufacture or delivery of more than 500 grams of cannabis, IDOC records showed.

Benavides was ordered to perform 30 hours of community service work and placed on two years of probation, after being found guilty of reduced drug charges. Lopez is still awaiting trial, the Sun story said.


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