Drug sting nets Joliet Catholic high school students, others

Published: 2006-04-20

JOLIET, Ill. (CNS) -- After a four-month undercover investigation dubbed by police as the "After-School Special," the Joliet police narcotics unit arrested eight current or former students at Joliet Catholic Academy and charged them with the sale or use of cocaine, Ecstasy or heroin. A ninth suspect unrelated to the school also was arrested April 12 and additional arrests were expected. Five Joliet Catholic Academy students were taken from their classrooms April 12, the day before the school began a 10-day Easter break. The nine people arrested ranged in age from 15 to 20, and their bonds ranged from $40,000 to $600,000. Joliet Police Chief David Gerdes said the operation "involved hand-to-hand drug sales to undercover agents. The first hand-to-hand sale took place in the Joliet Catholic Academy parking lot in early January 2006." An undercover female officer from the Morris Police Department, along with Joliet police officers over the past four months, seized an undisclosed amount of illegal drugs from students and young adults. In addition, four vehicles have been seized.

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