Northwest Side Man Accused of Operating Drug Operation in Grocery Store Parking Lots
A 28-year-old man from the Northwest Side, John A. Gonzalez, is facing serious charges after allegedly running a lucrative street-level drug operation in grocery store parking lots and selling a firearm to an undercover officer. This illegal activity began just one day after Gonzalez pleaded guilty in an unrelated felony case, where he was given a chance to keep the charge off his record.
The allegations against Gonzalez include armed violence and ten felony narcotics charges. Prosecutors claim that he sold cocaine, ecstasy, and other drugs to undercover officers in the parking lots of two Northwest Side grocery stores. The operation reportedly started on November 18, the day after Gonzalez’s guilty plea for felony theft. Despite being granted 12 months of court supervision, Gonzalez allegedly sold nearly $2,000 worth of cocaine to an undercover officer in the parking lot of Tony’s Fresh Market in Irving Park.
Following this initial sale, Gonzalez allegedly continued his illegal activities in the parking lot of Jewel-Osco in North Park. On various dates in November, he sold ecstasy pills, Xanax tablets, hashish, and more cocaine to undercover officers. The transactions escalated on December 2 when Gonzalez allegedly sold a significant amount of cocaine along with a firearm and ammunition outside the Jewel-Osco store. He made one final sale on December 15, again involving cocaine.
Following a hearing before Cook County Judge Ankur Srivastava, Gonzalez was taken into custody. The seriousness of the charges against him underscores the illicit nature of his alleged activities and the risks associated with engaging in criminal behavior.
