Jul 10, 2007 7:41 pm US/Central
Multi-Million Dollar Cocaine Bust In Will County
by Mike Puccinelli
LOCKPORT TOWNSHIP, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Will County authorities seized 880 pounds of cocaine on Monday. The boxes of drugs read Sun Land Beef Company.
CBS
The boxes said Sun Land Beef Company, but there was no beef to be found. CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports on a multi-million dollar drug bust.
"It gives new meaning to the phrase 'where's the beef?'" said Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow. "We'll be looking into where these boxes came from."
That's because the boxes were loaded with more than 880 pounds of cocaine. It's one of the biggest busts in Will County in years.
"Conservatively the street value is $80 million," Glasgow said. "On the high side approximately $120 million."
That means bond for the two men believed to be involved could be set at $80 million or more if the judge agrees to set bond in accordance with the street value of the drugs they're accused of trying to deal.
Sheriff's deputies found the stash Monday after they pulled over a truck that they had just observed being loaded in a business.
Investigators say Edgar Lopez was the driver.
"He seemed very nervous. They asked him why he was nervous," Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas said. "He said he had a small amount of marijuana inside the vehicle and when they pursued if further and asked him if anything else was in the vehicle he said yes. It was cocaine."
Investigators found 70 kilograms of cocaine in the truck. They then drove back to the business in Lockport Township and found 340 kilograms more.
Mother of two Penny Slamecka lives just up the road.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "I can't believe it's happening down my street. Right here in America."
And right out of a business in Will County. And Sheriff Kaupas says this case marks the first time they've found a large stash of drugs in his county apparently intended for sale all over Chicagoland.
(CBS 2, the Naperville Sun and the Aurora Beacon-News are news partners covering stories in the western suburbs of Chicago.)
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