An Elgin man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in two deaths stemming from his sale of fentanyl-laced cocaine, the Illinois attorney general’s office said.
Jarrail Ford-Gresham, 36, pleaded guilty to two class X felony counts of drug-induced homicide in Kane County court Friday in connection with the deaths of drug customers in Elgin and Palatine between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2023, a news release said. The case was jointly prosecuted by the attorney general’s office and the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.
Judge Julia Yetter handed down the 14-year sentence, which Ford-Gresham will serve consecutively with another 14-year sentence he received in a separate drug-induced homicide case prosecuted in McHenry County, the release said.
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In the first Kane County case, the victim and another person pooled their money to purchase crack-cocaine from Gresham, prosecutors said.
“The third party was observed on surveillance video entering and exiting Gresham’s vehicle,” the release said. “Then approximately a minute later, the (third party) returned to split the crack cocaine. The next morning, the victim was found unresponsive at an Elgin homeless encampment.”
Later that same day, surveillance video captured Gresham and the second victim entering a Motel 6 in Palatine, where the victim was later found deceased, the release said.
“Nothing will take away the pain of their loss for the victims’ friends and families, but it is my hope that today’s sentence brings some healing,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. “The defendant distributed illicit drugs with fatal consequences, and I am proud of the collaboration between my office’s criminal division and local law enforcement in holding the defendant accountable.”