Police said they confiscated cocaine with an estimated street value of $27,000 and impounded $2,600 cash from the home of a resident who police said was cooking crack cocaine in his microwave oven moments before undercover detectives raided the house.
James Staton, 24, of 1609 Boardman St. was being held Wednesday in Lake County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bond, charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
Members of the Waukegan police Narcotics Task Force and Gang Suppression Unit executed a search warrant and stormed into Staton’s home about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities said they arrived shortly after Staton allegedly cooked a 4-ounce chunk of a substance they believed to be crack cocaine.
Police said that they confiscated a bag containing 4 ounces of a substance they believed to be powdered cocaine and that they found 10 small packets containing what they believed to be small rocks of crack cocaine. Police said they also confiscated two 9 mm pistols and a .25-caliber pistol.
Because the amount of the drugs found exceeded 10 ounces, Staton was charged with a Class Super X felony, said Police Lt. Joseph Rajcevich, gang unit commander.
Staton ran out a back door of his single-story home and scaled a back-yard fence before being caught, according to police. Police alleged Staton told them he was holding the drugs for someone but that he would not elaborate.
