Bureau County Republican

Peru SIU make heroin bust

PERU — Peru Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) initiated a narcotics investigation after receiving reports of possible drug activity in and around a home in the 600 block of 15th Street in Peru.

With help from the LaSalle County State's Attorney's Office and the Tri-DENT Task Force, a search warrant was obtained for the residence of Jerome B. Sack, 48.

At 6:25 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, a team of officers and detectives executed the search warrant and seized 21 jewelers' bags of suspected heroin and currency. Sack was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, heroin, with the intent to deliver, a Class 1 felony.

Sack was taken to LaSalle County Jail pending appearance in bond court Thursday.

This arrest is yet another part of Peru Police Department's ongoing commitment to the community in targeting heroin distribution in the area.

"We will continue our enforcement efforts working with our law enforcement partners and it is my genuine belief that these arrests will continue until such time that we eliminate heroin distribution in the community," police chief Doug Bernabei said. "The city of Peru will simply not tolerate the distribution of heroin and other dangerous drugs in our community."

Officers of the Peru Police Department Emergency Response Team (PERT), Peru Police Department SIU Detectives and Tri-DENT agents assisted with this arrest. The PERT team is a tactical response team consisting of members of the Peru Police Department who have undergone special training in tactical response and search warrant tactics. PERT was formed in 2016.

The charges in this case, as in all criminal cases, are merely allegations and the defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence.