A North Side man was armed with a handgun when police arrested him near Boystown at the conclusion of a year-long methamphetamine investigation, according to police and prosecutors. Miguel Espino, 24, of Rogers Park used the Grindr dating app to arrange some sales with undercover cops, police alleged.
Police arrested Espino on the 500 block of West Brompton last Wednesday afternoon moments after he allegedly sold meth to an undercover cop during an arranged meet up. Officers who moved in to arrest Espino after the transaction found a loaded handgun in his possession along with more meth, prosecutor said.
Espino sold meth to undercover officers repeatedly since last spring across the North Side, Rosemont, Schiller Park, and Skokie, according to allegations court records. Police allegedly recorded some transactions and used “marked” money for the deals, which they say were arranged via text and Grindr messaging records.
While police valued the narcotics in some transactions at a couple of hundred dollars, others involved meth worth thousands of dollars, according to the allegations.
Prosecutors charged Espino with armed violence and nine counts of methamphetamine delivery.
Judge Susana Ortiz ruled Espino could go home on electronic monitoring by posting a $1,000 deposit toward his $10,000 bail. He remained jailed as of April 13, according to sheriff’s office records.
