A 40-year-old Illinois man was taken into custody on Jan. 5 after police pulled him over for driving in a lane reserved for parked cars. The stop occurred in the 3300 block of Harlem in Riverside around 1 p.m.
The man told the officer he did not have a driver’s license, and when his identification was checked, it was discovered that he had four prior convictions for DUI and that his license had been revoked. The man was taken into custody and his vehicle was searched. A small black scale, plastic bags with cocaine in them and cannabis among other items were reportedly found. Police then called a canine to the scene and found more cannabis and cocaine along with brownies allegedly containing cannabis.
In all, police claim to have found 366 grams of cannabis and 110 grams of cocaine. The man was charged with felony aggravated driving while license revoked and several drug offenses.
Drug charges of this kind, even those involving smaller amounts of drugs, can be serious. A drug conviction can affect a person’s career and access to financial aid for education along with the legal ramifications. An attorney may examine the evidence and how it was gathered and work with a person to create a strategy for defense. For example, an illegal search and seizure could mean that the evidence and the case will be dismissed. The person may have been in the vicinity of the drugs but unaware of their existence and uninvolved in possession or distribution. A person may also have the option of pleading guilty to lesser charges and getting a lighter sentence as part of a plea bargain.
