DRUG BUST NETS $100,000 CASH

MATTOON -- Area law officers claim a marijuana arrest last week put a
major dent in the drug trade for Central Illinois.

[redacted] faces delivery of
cannabis charges for a Nov. 23 East Central Illinois Task Force arrest
in the Mattoon Steak N Shake parking lot. Officers confiscated 1.25
pounds of cannabis and $100,030 in cash, according to Coles County
Circuit Court documents.

"This guy was obviously a major supplier," said Coles County Sheriff
Darrell Cox after a press conference Monday at Mattoon Police
Department. "And the best part is we will be using the money to fight
our war against this. This case is one of the reasons we have the task
force. And this was the second-largest amount of cash seized by the
task force in its history."

Up to 80 percent of the confiscated currency can be distributed to the
task force, which combines the efforts of agencies in Coles, Douglas,
Moultrie counties and Illinois State Police District 10.

[redacted] is charged with delivery of cannabis, which can result in a
prison sentence of three to seven years. His bond is set where he'd
have to post $25,000 and his first court hearing is scheduled for 9
a.m. Thursday.

The case started with a warrant search at an unidentified Mattoon
residence on Nov. 23, according to an affidavit filed in Coles circuit
court. This resulted in the discovery of two pounds of marijuana and
$5,300 in cash. The person at the residence agreed to cooperate as a
confidential source with the task force, the affidavit stated.

The source told officers about buying marijuana from a "man in
Carbondale." The source then arranged for the marijuana dealer to send
someone to Mattoon. That led to the eventual arrest when the suspect's
vehicle matched a description known by task force agents.

"Everything lined up like we hoped it would," said Mattoon Police
Chief Dave Griffith. "It's great when the dots connect and you're able
to take drug money off the streets."

Arcola Police Chief Mike Phillips said the task force is a great
benefit to his police department because drug dealing interdiction
would be nearly impossible without it.

"We just don't have the resources to sustain these investigations,"
said Phillips.

Cox said the investigation of this case is ongoing and additional
arrests could be made as investigators check into [redacted]' alleged
connections in Mississippi, Chicago and Southern Illinois.