Woman says she persuaded her son to plant drugs

A Downers Grove woman admitted in court Wednesday that she persuaded her teenage son to plant drugs in a Westmont High School classmate's backpack in a scheme to embarrass the boy's mother.

Christine J. Marmolejo, 39, of the 4000 block of Williams Street pleaded guilty in DuPage County Court to one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance by a person under the age of 18.



Prosecutors said Marmolejo told police that there's "been bad blood for years and nothing seems to get better" between her and the other boy's mom.

Wearing a blue jail jumpsuit, Marmolejo admitted in a plea agreement Wednesday that she was solely responsible for the March 22 plan.

The felony crime in this case carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, although Marmolejo has no previous criminal record and is eligible for probation.

Assistant State's Atty. Steven Knight said Marmolejo told police that she gave her 14-year-old son .88 grams of marijuana and 6 tablets of clonazepam, a drug used to treat seizures and panic disorders.

Telling the boy, "it's payback time," she instructed him to plant the drugs in the backpack of the other 14-year-old when they were in school and then call her afterwards, Knight said.

Marmolejo then called Westmont police alleging the other boy had illegal narcotics in his backpack, he said.

Knight said that Westmont police easily unraveled the plot.

"Marmolejo said there was such hatred between her and the other mom and she wanted to get back at her," Knight said, although he did not detail the nature of the disagreement. "The families had argued for years."

Marmolejo's son, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, is living with his father.

Judge Robert Anderson set Marmolejo's sentencing for Oct. 26.

Marmolejo originally was charged with 22 separate criminal counts relating to the March incident, but Knight said that as part of the plea agreement, all were dropped except the most severe charge.

Considering the amount of drugs involved in this case, the felony charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance carries a maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison.

But the Illinois General Assembly created special sentencing parameters of up to 15 years when an adult uses a juvenile to make such deliveries.

Defense Attorney Raymond Cisco had no comment after his client's plea, but he told Anderson that he would introduce a mental health report at sentencing.

Marmolejo's arraignment last May was postponed for several weeks after it was learned she had voluntarily admitted herself to Hinsdale Hospital.

She originally was placed on home confinement after her arrest but had been ordered to remain in the DuPage County Jail when Anderson found she had violated the terms of her bail by going shopping and visiting a tanning salon.

http://www.chicagotribune...arwest-hed

i'd be like "you better gimme a raise in my allowance then, mom!"