On March 17, an Illinois man was arrested on drug charges during a safety checkpoint conducted by officers with the Palatine Police Department. Reportedly, authorities raided the defendant’s home days earlier, finding cocaine and other drugs.
According to media reports, a search warrant was served at the 31-year-old defendant’s home, located on the 1300 block of W. Deer Cort in Palatine, on March 14. During the ensuing search, investigators allegedly uncovered over 100 grams of cocaine, more than 30 ecstasy pills and unspecified amounts of other suspected controlled substances. They also found a Winchester 410-model shotgun and various items of drug paraphernalia, including digital scales, sales packaging and cash.
The defendant, who has previous felony convictions on his record, was not at home when the search warrant was executed and reportedly refused to cooperate with authorities. However, he was identified during a roadside safety checkpoint at approximately 1:30 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day and was taken into custody. He was charged with one count of felony unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver for the cocaine, one count of felony unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver for the ecstasy and one count of felony unlawful use of a weapon by a convicted felon. His bond was set at $100,000.
Illinois residents facing drug charges could be sentenced to years in prison and assessed heavy fines. However, a criminal defense attorney may be able to represent a defendant in court and work to develop a strong defense against the accusations. In some cases, the attorney may succeed at getting the charges dropped. In other situations, legal counsel might recommend negotiating a plea bargain that allows the defendant to plead guilty to reduced charges, which could substantially lower the penalties.
Source: Palatine Patch, “Search Warrant Leads To Drug Charges For Palatine Felon,” Rebecca Bream, March 20, 2019