Drug charges stack up for pair who sold pancake mix to undercover cops

After trying to pass off pancake mix as narcotics in a sale to undercover cops, a pair of northwest suburban men ended up with a large stack of felony charges.

The men, already being investigated for drug dealing, were arrested Wednesday after trying to sell the fake powder, adding another felony charge to their record.

On three separate occasions over the last several months, 18-year-old Rafael Osorio Jr. of Elgin sold controlled substances to undercover officers, according to Elgin police.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Osorio and 19-year-old Jaime Anselmo of Elgin again arranged to deliver drugs to undercover officers.

But in that final transaction before both were arrested, they sold “what was determined to be a box of pancake mix wrapped to look like a large quantity of drugs,” a statement from police said.

Police Chief Jeff Swoboda called having many divisions of his department work together on the complex case a “recipe for success.”

As for the fake drugs, he said, “On a serious investigation like this, we will never short stack our efforts.”

Osorio was ordered held on a $200,000 bond on four counts of delivery of a controlled substance; and one count of manufacture, distribution, advertisement or possession of a look-alike substance, police said.

Anselmo, of the 300 block of Ann Street, was ordered held on $20,000, charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance; and one count of possession with intent to deliver a look-alike substance, police said.