Barrington man charged in drug-related death of Lake Barrington man

LAKE BARRINGTON – A Barrington man faces charges of drug-induced homicide in connection with the December 2022 death of a 20-year-old Lake Barrington man, police said.

On Dec. 1, 2022, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a death investigation at a residence in the 25600 block of North Countryside Drive, Lake Barrington, according to a news release. The person found dead was a 20-year-old man who lived at the Countryside Drive address.

An autopsy by the Lake County Coroner’s Office determined that the man died of a drug overdose, with fentanyl contributing to his death.

Sheriff’s detectives discovered that the day before his death, the victim had been communicating with Luke G. Napolitano, 20, of the 400 block of West Russell Street, Barrington. Detectives ultimately determined that Napolitano was responsible for selling the victim drugs the day before his death, according to the news release.

Police say Napolitano was selling drugs not only in Lake County, but also in DuPage and Cook counties. Napolitano also faces drug-related charges in those counties.

Lake County Sheriff’s detectives consulted with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office regarding the evidence obtained in the December 2022 death. On June 9, a statewide grand jury was convened.

Napolitano was indicted on a charge of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony. A Lee County judge issued an arrest warrant for Napolitano and set bond at $1 million.

Napolitano was being held in the Cook County Jail on the previously filed Cook County charges and will be transferred to the Lake County Jail to await trial on the new charges.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office will prosecute Napolitano on the drug-induced homicide charges in Lake County, because of the multi-county crime, according to the release.