WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. – Authorities arrested a fugitive wanted by U.S. Marshals over the weekend in southern Illinois and busted a mobile drug lab arranged in an SUV.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of Aaron M. Trover and Anthony Futia in the investigation. Trover was wanted on a federal warrant for amphetamine manufacturing.
The incident leading to Trover’s arrest unfolded late Saturday evening. Deputies spotted him in the parking lot of a Huck’s Convenience Store on East DeYoung Street. As deputies approached him, Trover took off and prompted a 30-mile pursuit throughout southern Illinois.
During the pursuit, Trover struck one patrol vehicle and nearly crashed into several others. Deputies say a precision immobilization technique helped in stopping Trover near the area of Illinois Route 166 and Boundary Road. Trover and Futia, a passenger in the suspect vehicle, were both arrested shortly after the stop.
After the arrests, deputies searched the SUV and found “equipment of an elaborate mobile drug manufacturing operation.” In a Facebook post shared by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, the haul included harvesting devices, pumps, cooktops, filtration, packaging and other drug-making equipment.
Deputies also seized around 90 pounds of THC substances, included trash bags, pressure-sealed bags of raw cannabis and multiple containers of THC oil concentrate.
“The apprehension of Trover represents a month-long collaboration of multiple local agencies working together with our federal law enforcement partners to ensure public safety,” said Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich. The sheriff’s office adds the pursuit posed a risk to safety for Williamson County deputies and residents.
Prosecutors have charged Trover with a variety of felonies, including methamphetamine possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving and aggravated assault. Futia was charged only for methamphetamine possession.
If you have any other information relevant to this investigation or similar cases in Williamson County, contact the sheriff’s office at 618-997-6541.