Tip to Forest Park Cops Leads to Heroin Bust

Forest Park police reported that a tip from a recovering drug addict led them to the arrest of a man carrying about 10 grams of heroin, packaged for distribution on Feb. 2.

Police received a tip, from a man who told them he's a recovering drug addict, that a dealer he knew by the nickname "Mike" was going to be delivering a package of heroin at a fast food restaurant located in Berwyn in the 7100 block of Roosevelt Road. Police were told the dealer would be driving a silver Pontiac four door sedan, and would deliver three jabs—a street term for between 12-15 bindles of heroin—at that location.

Police staked out the restaurant and observed a silver Pontiac sedan switch lanes without a turn signal, and then improperly turn into the restaurant parking lot, nearly causing two accidents.

Police stopped the car and asked the driver for his license and insurance. Officers reported being able to smell cannabis from inside the vehicle when they approached the car.

The driver, Barry J. Spires, 28, of Chicago, told the officers he didn't have a license, but had a state ID card. When asked why his license was not on him, he told them it had been suspended. A database check by police revealed that Spires never had a driver's license, and if he did, it would have been suspended several times.

Police asked Spires if he had anything illegal on him, or in the car, because they could smell cannabis.

Spires replied, "No officer, I just smoked weed in the car earlier today."

Spires was asked out of the car and placed under arrest. As the officer was putting handcuffs on him, Spires reportedly moved his right arm, at which point 18 foil packets attached to pieces of tape fell to the ground.

Police said Spires spontaneously said, "F*** man, I was just trying to make a deal."

Police reported the foil packets contained an off-white, powdery substance that they suspected to be heroin. Spires additionally had $54 in cash in one pocket, and $300 in cash in the other. The substance later field-tested positive for heroin, police said, and is being sent to a lab for confirmation. A total of about 10 grams was found in all. 

Police learned at the station that Spires was currently on parole for possession of a controlled substance.

Spires told police he had fallen on hard times and sold heroin in order to make a living, adding that his girlfriend had given birth about 10 days before, and the couple needed money to pay for their hospital bills.

Police added that when arrested, Spires was in possession of two phones—one red cell phone and one black cell phone. He told officers one was his personal phone and the other was his "dealer" phone.

Police reported that during their interview, both phones rang nonstop.

In all, Spires was charged with one count of manufacture and intent to deliver a controlled substance; one count of driving with a suspended or revoked license, possession of a controlled substance and various traffic offenses.

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Police Blotter information is provided the Forest Park Police Department. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.