On Probation and with an Active Warrant, Lake County Man Arrested for Selling Deadly Fentanyl

Career Criminal Travier L. Bunch had been in the Department of Corrections Multiple Times

Lake County, IL—Travier L. Bunch, 32, of Waukegan, a career criminal who has been an Illinois Department of Corrections prison inmate multiple times since 2009, was caught selling a deadly combination of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin to undercover detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group.

This arrest occurred while Bunch was on probation for aggravated fleeing and eluding police, was free from jail despite a charge of possession of methamphetamine in January, and had an active arrest warrant for domestic abuse for punching and kicking a victim on April 10. Bunch has a lengthy criminal history that includes serving time in prison three times on varying drug charges, including possession of ecstasy. He also served time in prison for possessing a firearm despite being a felon and for theft.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart used this arrest to highlight his support for Illinois’ SAFE-T Act but failed to mention that Bunch was recently released from jail without bond on three separate criminal cases that include a felony drug case, resisting a peace officer, and driving on a revoked license.

Lake County State’s Attorney candidate Mary Cole said, “This case exemplifies why Lake County is less safe with Eric Rinehart as our State’s Attorney. The State’s Attorney’s Office knew Mr. Bunch had a 15-year-long criminal record and was a danger to our neighbors but did nothing to stop him from getting out of jail. While I am pleased that Mr. Bunch is now being detained, it doesn’t take a fortune teller to know that someone with a 15-year criminal history should have been detained before this latest potentially deadly crime occurred.”