BIG 'POT' STASH WAS ONLY HAY

Had it actually been marijuana, the three wise men might be viewed in a
whole new light.

What Chicago police thought was more than $660,000 worth of dope in a
pickup truck last month turned out to be hay from a Roman Catholic church's
nativity scene.

Prosecutors dropped felony drug charges Thursday against Jose Galvan, 43,
and his co-worker, Juan Luna, 21, after crime lab tests confirmed the
mistake, said Jerry Lawrence, spokesman for the Cook County state's
attorney's office. The two remained at Cook County Jail as federal
immigration officials checked to see if they are in the country legally.

Also, Luna will appear in court Jan. 28 on an unrelated felony marijuana
delivery charge he thought had been dismissed, said attorney Peter
Vilkelis, who is representing both men.

Chicago police got an anonymous tip on Dec. 30 that a major marijuana stash
was being moved in a truck that looked like the one Galvan was driving.
After two officers pulled over Galvan and Luna in the 3800 block of North
Pulaski, two small plastic bags with crushed green plants fell out of the
cab, police spokesman Pat Camden said.

Police tests in the field showed those plants to be marijuana. Camden did
not know if the about 220 pounds worth of plants beneath the truck's liner
were field-tested.

Galvan and Luna had been planning to haul the hay from St. Wenceslaus Roman
Catholic Church, where they are parishioners, back to a far south suburban
horse farm where a friend had loaned it to them, Vilkelis said. They were
coming home from work in Skokie when they were arrested.

"Somebody must have seen these two big bales, saw the men were Mexican and
made an assumption," Vilkelis said.

"These guys were treated like they were cartel drug traffickers," he added.
"Once we finally secure their release, we will be talking to a civil rights
lawyer."