November 13, 2023

Joliet—Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that Steve Talbot, 36, of Joliet, has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for selling heroin and fentanyl to a 24-year-old woman who died of an overdose in Lockport in 2016. Talbot pled guilty to one count of Drug Induced Homicide, a Class X felony, and was sentenced by Circuit Judge Carmen Goodman to 6 years in prison.

On November 29, 2016, Celeste Roppo was found unconscious in her home in Lockport by her family. The victim was transported to Silver Cross Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Medical personnel recovered suspected drugs in the victim’s clothing that the Illinois State Police Crime Lab confirmed to be .1 gram of heroin and fentanyl. Following an investigation, officers recovered messages regarding the drug exchange between the victim and Kylie Murphy of Elwood, who was sentenced in March to 10 years in prison in the 2016 Lockport overdose. Talbot was present with Murphy at the time the drugs were purchased and exchanged. An autopsy revealed the victim died of fentanyl intoxication­­­­­.

“Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is lethal; that’s an incredibly miniscule amount, equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt,” Glasgow said. “Unscrupulous dealers commonly lace other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, with the cheaper fentanyl to increase the high and entice the addicted drug user to come back for more, inflating their profits at the expense of the victims.”

Glasgow noted that overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 2021 — fueled by the increase in synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which accounted for 75 percent of those deaths.

Since 2009, State’s Attorney Glasgow has charged 20 defendants in Drug Induced Homicide cases. One of these cases was dismissed following the death of a witness. The remaining 19 defendants, including Talbot, have received prison sentences totaling 153 years.

State’s Attorney Glasgow commended Criminal Division Chief Peter Wilkes, Assistant State’s Attorney Amanda Tasker, and Victim Witness Advocate Jessica Gil for their hard work and dedication in this matter. He also thanked the Lockport Police Department, Commander John Arizzi, and Detective Chris Neyhardt for pursuing an aggressive investigation.