| Janitor Admits selling Crack On School Grounds
Janitor Admits Selling Crack On School Grounds
Man Sold Drugs After School Hours
POSTED: 7:47 am CST February 25, 2005
UPDATED: 7:48 am CST February 25, 2005
CHICAGO -- An Evanston elementary school janitor accused of selling crack cocaine on the property of the school where he worked changed his plea to guilty Thursday.
Robert Crayton, 27, of Evanston, changed his innocent plea to guilty on one count of distributing controlled substances within 1000 feet of a school.
Crayton was arrested in November while working at Lincoln Elementary School at 2600 Colfax St. where he had been employed as a janitor for several years, according to a criminal complaint.
Crayton worked from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. and sold the drugs during the evening hours when he was alone or there were few people on the premises, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Ryan.
Two people residing near the school said they had seen numerous people at the school after hours, and one of the neighbors called police because the person believed some sort of illegal activity was going on, Ryan said.
Crayton sold crack cocaine to an informant on four occasions within about a 20-day period in October, and three of those sales occurred on school property, according to Crayton's plea agreement.
Authorities know of two places in the school where Crayton had stashed the drugs, Ryan said.
Once in November 2002 and twice in October 2001, Crayton also sold crack cocaine to people who were only identified as a "confidential source." Once in November 2002, a sale occurred inside the elementary school, according to the plea.
While he was charged with a total of four counts of distributing a controlled substance and four counts of distributing controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a school, the government will dismiss the remaining seven counts of the indictment following Crayton's sentencing, according to the plea.
Crayton could receive anywhere from one to 40 years in prison, with a maximum $2 million fine and four to six years of supervised release, Darrah said. He will be sentenced in June.
Crayton had been in custody since his arrest after U.S. Magistrate Judge Sidney Schenkier declined to set bond and ruled that the defendant was a danger to the community. |