Pubdate: Wed, 01 Sep 2010 Source: Galesburg Register-Mail (IL) Copyright: 2010 Galesburg Register-Mail Contact: http://www.register-mail.com/news/letters/index.html Website: http://www.galesburg.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3864 Author: Chris Essig, The Register-Mail HEROIN TURNS OUT TO BE ECSTASY Value Of Drug Bust Greater Than Thought CAMBRIDGE - Last week, Illinois State Police said they made the largest heroin bust in District 7 history when they found two New Jersey residents with 16 kilos - or 35 pounds - of the drug in Henry County. The only problem is it wasn't heroin. This week, police said the drug was actually ecstasy. The charges against the two men will remain the same, but the value of the seizure skyrocketed from $1.5 million to $4 to $8 million, said Trooper Jason Wilson, safety education officer for the state police. Thomas S. Brennen, 32, Clementon, and Robert D. Huckel, 30, Bellmawr, are being charged with two Class X felonies - controlled substance trafficking and unlawful possession - as well as a Class 1 felony - possession of a controlled substance. The New Jersey pair was pulled over Aug. 22 for speeding on Interstate 80, approximately 6 miles west of Geneseo. After a vehicle search, the two were arrested. The drug found as part of the massive bust was first given a field test, which is a good indicator to establish probable cause that the substance is illicit. The field test indicated the drug was heroin. Once state police tested it in a crime lab, however, they found it was actually ecstasy, said Henry County State's Attorney Terry Patton. "Some of the designer drugs ... can give you a false positive reading," he said. Ecstasy also typically comes in pill form, not powder, Wilson said. Police who made the arrest found the powder wrapped in more than 15 individual bags. Regardless, it didn't matter much to Patton which illegal drug they found. "They are both nasty, nasty drugs," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D