Jul 15, 2005 7:53 pm US/Central
Tow Truck Driver Caught With Stash Of Drugs, Guns
CBS 2 Investigated Towing Hustle
by Pam Zekman
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Gacho operates New City Towing, which is owned by his mother.
CBS
A tow truck driver accused in a CBS 2 investigation of giving car owners the towing hustle is facing new legal trouble. As CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman reports, Chicago police raided his home Friday and found a stash of drugs and guns.
More than $175,000 in cash, guns, a rifle and explosives were just the beginning of what Chicago police found in the Burbank home of Richard Gaucho.
They also found lots of drugs.
"Twelve kilos of cocaine, estimated street value of five million dollars at least," said Chicago Police Lt. John Rowton.
And hidden in the garage, police found the ingredients and tools needed to dilute, mix, and press cocaine into bricks.
Friday's raid climaxed a three-month undercover investigation by Chicago police into whether Gaucho was using his towing business as a front to sell drugs and guns to gangs.
After finding the parts of stolen cars in a Berwyn garage rented by Gaucho, police are also checking whether his towing business is tied to a chop shop operation.
As CBS 2 Investigators previously disclosed, Gaucho operates new city towing and was licensed by the state as a tow truck driver, despite a criminal record that included arrests and convictions for possessing drugs, firearms and even stolen vehicles.
Last April, the former gang member told me he was rehabilitated.
"You know I'm a grown man now, I've changed people change," Gaucho said.
Then we caught him illegally towing an SUV, and he got mad.
"Lady, get away from me please," he said.
On Friday, he was silent as police lead him away in handcuffs.
Authorities are still sorting out charges to be filed against Gaucho.
Meanwhile a spokeswoman for the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates the towing industry, said unless he's convicted, the agency can not take any action against his license to tow.
(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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