Lake in the Hills Man in Court in Heroin Death

The Lake in the Hills man accused of delivering the heroin that led to a Crystal Lake man’s death nearly one year ago appeared Wednesday in McHenry County Court.

Philip D. Neumann, 23, of the 100 block of Deer Path, Lake in the Hills, was transported from Kane County Jail, where he is being held on $500,000 bond for a separate, unrelated drug possession arrest from July.

Neumann appeared Wednesday before McHenry County Judge Joseph P. Condon to face a drug-induced homicide charge leveled by Crystal Lake police on Aug. 23. Condon scheduled Neumann to return to court at 9 a.m. Feb. 8.

The charge against Neumann is a Class X felony; if convicted, he faces a minimum six-year to a maximum 30-year sentence.

After a lengthy investigation, Crystal Lake police said Neumann provided Sean P. Hopman, 24, of the 1300 block of Boxwood Drive, Crystal Lake, with heroin only hours before Hopman was found unresponsive in his home on Jan 30, 2011.

Police were called to the home at 1 a.m. in response to a suspected drug overdose. Police and emergency responders attempted to revive Hopman, who was taken to Woodstock Memorial Hospital, where he later died.

During the course of the investigation, police said they determined Neumann provided Hopman with the heroin that led to his death. Hopman allegedly facilitated a heroin deal with Neumann on Jan. 29, according to a Crystal Lake police press release dated Aug. 23.

Neumann is a repeat offender with a lengthy arrest history over the past seven years that includes 27 alleged traffic violations and arrests for consumption of alcohol by a minor, retail theft and driving under the influence, according to McHenry County Circuit Court online records.

Neumann was convicted and fined for some charges, while others leveled against him eventually were dropped. He was convicted of a Sept. 8, 2009, criminal felony burglary charge, according to court records.

Lake in the Hills Patch editor Amie Schaenzer contributed to this article.