ILLINOIS DEPUTY ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

GROOM, Texas (AP) - An Illinois sheriff's deputy and his traveling
companion have been arrested on drug possession charges after Texas
authorities say they found 138 pounds of marijuana and 4,000 grams of
cocaine in their vehicle during a traffic stop along Interstate 40.

Cook County Deputy Darryl Jenkins, 47, and [Redacted] both of
Calumet City, Ill., were arrested Sunday evening after Texas
Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over a minivan near Groom
in Carson County, about 50 miles east of Amarillo.

The two remained in the Carson County Jail on Tuesday on bail of
$60,000 each, said Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry. He said the two
did not have attorneys retained.

During the traffic stop, troopers noticed something suspicious and
were given consent to search the vehicle, DPS said in a news release.
The drugs, with a street value of about $368,000, were found inside
luggage, DPS said.

Jenkins and [Redacted] were returning to Chicago from Los Angeles
when they were pulled over, DPS spokesman Gabriel Medrano said.

On Tuesday, Jenkins was placed on paid suspension by the Cook
County Sheriff's Office, department spokesman Steve Patterson said. A
hearing Monday could lead to his suspension without pay, he said.

Jenkins has been a deputy in a courthouse on the south side of
Chicago for 22 years, he said.