Illinois car dealership employees facing felony drug charges

Two men reportedly were charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver after the DEA found heroin on the lot of their used car dealership in Illinois. The owner of the dealership and another employee were taken into custody after DEA agents raided the dealership and found a kilogram of heroin inside one of the lot vehicles. According to the state’s attorney on the case, one kilogram of heroin could be worth $200,000 to $300,000 on the street and could cause a significant number of deaths. The men are now facing 15 to 60 years in prison and are currently being held on $300,000 bond.

Most drug possession crimes can be broken down into two main components. First, one must have simple possession of the controlled substance on one’s person or stored in a place to which one has immediate access or control of. If a drug is proven to be in one’s possession, prosecutors will look for evidence of the second component: the intent to distribute, sell or deliver the drug. This evidence may include large quantities of the drug, weapons, large amounts of cash or items generally relating to drug distribution (e.g., scale, baggies).

Drug crimes involving possession with an intent to deliver are typically more serious than simple possession, and will generally result in felony charges. If one is facing drug distribution charges, a criminal defense attorney in one’s area may be able to help.

For example, one’s attorney may find that prosecutors are building their case against one based on evidence obtained during an unlawful search of one’s property. If this is the case, one’s attorney may be able to get the evidence found thrown out of their client’s case.