{"id":7190,"date":"2025-02-08T16:28:54","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T16:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7190"},"modified":"2025-02-08T16:28:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T16:28:54","slug":"2-detained-one-temporarily-in-streator-drug-ring-shaw-local-news-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7190","title":{"rendered":"2 detained, one temporarily, in Streator drug ring – Shaw Local News Network"},"content":{"rendered":"


Keith R. Gullens <\/span>(Photo provided by La Salle County Jail)
One of the suspects in Streator<\/a>\u2019s drug-theft ring has a Jan. 27 trial date. David Miller will stay in custody while he awaits trial.
And one of the alleged ringleaders also will stay in the La Salle County<\/a> Jail \u2013 at least for now. Keith Gullens wants to meet with his newly hired attorney and agreed to postpone his detention hearing until Dec. 20.
Both men appeared in La Salle County Circuit Court<\/a> on Wednesday, a day after a grand jury handed down multiple indictments from a still-unfolding investigation. Prosecutors charged Gullens and two others, who are not yet apprehended, with calculated criminal drug conspiracy, alleging the trio orchestrated a series of drug deals and organized thefts.
Miller, 35, of Streator isn\u2019t charged with criminal drug conspiracy, but prosecutors on Wednesday moved to have him detained anyway on a pair of drug charges led by delivery of cocaine, a Class X felony.
Assistant La Salle County State\u2019s Attorney Jeremiah Adams said in open court Wednesday that Miller \u201cacted as a liaison\u201d for Gullens and another suspect in transferring stolen merchandise plus about 40 grams of cocaine \u2013 and all while Miller still was on parole.
Since his arrest, Adams said, Miller has \u201ccalled the informant and harassed him.\u201d
\u201cHe is facilitating drug deals in the community, which puts a number of people at risk,\u201d Adams said. \u201cHe\u2019s previously ignored court dates, violated probation and was on [parole] at the time of these offenses.\u201d
Assistant La Salle County Public Defender Duane Berklund said Miller isn\u2019t as much of a flight or public safety risk as the state portrayed. Miller, he said, never had any direct transactions and never had any physical control of contraband or stolen property.
\u201cWe believe the facts will ultimately show Mr. Miller did not have any involvement,\u201d Berklund said.
Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. was unpersuaded and ordered Miller held pending trial. The judge agreed with the state (Miller scored a 12 on a 14-point risk assessment) and further noted Miller\u2019s criminal history includes crimes of violence.
Miller\u2019s detention means prosecutors have 90 days to bring him to trial. He will next appear for a motions hearing Jan. 16.
Gullens, meanwhile, has additional legal issues to discuss with his newly hired attorney before his detention hearing, which is now set for the Friday before Christmas. A name for Gullens’ attorney was not disclosed in court records or open court.
On Tuesday, a grand jury added two more felony counts to bring Gullens\u2019 running total to nine, seven of which are Class X felonies carrying a prison term of six to 30 years. These included calculated criminal drug conspiracy, aggravated possession of stolen firearms and five counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
As previously reported, Gullens and Miller were the first two apprehended after a lengthy investigation into criminal activity dating back to November 2023. Court records contend that the ringleaders directed underlings to steal retail merchandise (the Peru<\/a> Menards and Ottawa<\/a> Walmart were among the targeted stores) and to move drugs.
The first arrests were made earlier this month, when drug agents raided multiple residences in and around Streator and seized at least 200 grams of cocaine and eight firearms.
The Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team said previously that information links Gullens to pre-arranged thefts, burglaries and drug deals across six counties. Tri-DENT estimated that the stolen goods alone were valued at more than $50,000.
Two more men are alleged to have spearheaded the criminal enterprise. Darryl D. Gullens, 38, of Streator and Robert L. Phillips, 49, of Streator both are charged with calculated criminal drug conspiracy. Each also is charged with Class X and\/or Class 1 felonies for drug deals.
Neither was in custody as of Wednesday.
David L. Miller <\/span>(Photo provided by la )
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keith R. Gullens (Photo provided by La Salle County Jail)One of the suspects in Streator\u2019s drug-theft ring has a Jan. 27 trial date. David Miller will stay in custody while he awaits trial.And one of the alleged ringleaders also will stay in the La Salle County Jail \u2013 at least for now. Keith Gullens wants to meet with his newly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t