An Illinois man is facing criminal charges after a routine traffic stop. He was traveling in early morning hours on a recent Saturday when he was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy who noticed the man’s rear license plate light was not functioning. The traffic stop led to the man being charged with a drug crime, which could have serious ramifications if he is unable to avoid conviction.
The deputy involved in the stop allegedly found several different drugs inside of the man’s vehicle, including oxycodone, alprazolam and hydrocodone. The man reportedly had no valid prescriptions for the drugs that were found and he was subsequently arrested. He was taken to the Madison County Jail, where his bond has been listed at $50,000.
Because the man did could not prove pills he had in his possession were prescribed to him, he is now being charged with possession of a controlled substance.
The man not only faces a drug crime charge, but he has also been charged with driving without insurance and no rear registration light. It is unknown whether the man is still being held inside of the Madison County Jail.
A drug crime conviction in Illinois can net someone a lengthy jail sentence. The details on the traffic stop and subsequent arrest are thin. However, the man will still need to mount a valid criminal defense in order to avoid conviction of the charges against him. There has been no word on why the officer actually searched the vehicle, or if there was valid cause to do so. As more information surfaces about the circumstances in this case, such issues could help the man fight the validity of the charges against him.
Source: The Intelligencer, “Moro man faces drug charges after traffic stop,” Aug. 28, 2012