Police arrested the first DeKalb resident for possession of crack during a Wednesday afternoon drug sweep by the North Central Narcotics Task Force.

Former NIU student Michael H. Evans, 28, 126 Pearl St., was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance after he sold about half a gram of crack to an undercover officer, police said.

Another former NIU student, Jason W. Pittman, age unknown, 305 W. Roosevelt St., was arrested and charged with the unlawful delivery of a controlled substance during the clamp down.

“Once crack hits the community, because it’s very low-priced and highly-addictive, we are concerned about how addictive it can be,” said State Police Sgt. Angelo DeFranco, coordinator of the north central region of the task force.

Eight other DeKalb County residents were jailed as a result of the raid.

One of them, Jerry Cagle, 25, 1824 Suburban Estates, was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance after he sold 1,000 hits of LSD to an undercover officer, police said. Cagle was charged with a Class X felony, which is punishable by six years in jail, said DeKalb County State’s Attorney Mike Coghlan.

Three other DeKalb County residents, including current NIU student Edward Matkovich, 20, 924 Greenbrier Road, were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of controlled substances prior to the sweep, police said.

Police said they planned to charge nine other DeKalb County residents Thursday. “Sometimes, we don’t get the cooperation of the defendants, and they aren’t where they are supposed to be” when police begin the sweep, Coghlan said.

During the press conference, Coghlan accidentally released the name of a DeKalb County resident scheduled to be arrested Thursday on a drug-related charge.

Despite the recent surge in gang-related activity in DeKalb County, police said none of the charges involved gang members.

The sweep resulted from an undercover investigation that began in May and ended in August, Coghlan said.

NCNTF agents bought $6,000 in marijuana, LSD, cocaine and crack during 40 undercover drug buys, police said. The amount of drugs seized ranged from “user amounts to considerable dealer amounts,” Coghlan said.

“The significant thing about the arrests is that they were county-wide,” DeFranco said.

More busts are in the future. “We are identifying sources and suppliers, and we are pursuing where the drugs come from,” DeFranco said.

Prior to the Wednesday raid, Sharon Staffeldt, 26, street address unknown, DeKalb, was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, and Paul Barnaby, 21, 109 American Inn, Sycamore, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Charged during the raid with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance were: Thomas K. Kohler, 28, Sandwich; Michael E. Barnett, 27, Sandwich and Eric A. Petruchuis, 19, Sycamore.

Bernie Trapp, 20, Sycamore, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and Maria E. Lopez, 22, 116 N. Ninth St., was charged with unlawful delivery of cannabis during the raid.