Eleven gang members have been charged with selling crack cocaine, primarily in the Albany Park neighborhood on the North Side, using a telephone hotline to make deliveries.
The drug ring, known as Del Toro DTO, “distributed narcotics at all hours of the day, seven days a week,” according to federal agents who said they monitored phone orders between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m.
A minimum order taken over the phone was for a “dub,” or a baggie with $20 worth of crack cocaine, according to a criminal complaint which said some customers placed orders for as much as $400 worth of cocaine.
Some customers appeared to have a regular order and would just call to set a time and place for a meeting.
“On average, the Del Toro DTO was selling at least approximately 4.29 grams of cocaine base per day over the course of approximately 335 days,” the complaint states.
In all, the ring distributed at least 1,437 grams of crack cocaine between December 2021 and November 2022, according to the complaint.
Two ring members were charged with murder during the investigation: Alexis del Toro was arrested on April 5, 2022 for a murder in December of 2021; Hader Garcia was arrested around the same time and charged with two counts of murder.
Others charged in the complaint are Eduart Hoxha, Freddy del Toro, Bryan del Toro, Alex Hernandez, Ruben Valencia, Karina Jimenez, Kevin Ramirez, Jonas Castillo and Jesenia Calle. They are charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine.