Authorities believe the 23 pounds of marijuana they seized may have been part of a scheme to obtain medical marijuana in California and sell it here in the Midwest.
It was 9 a.m. April 4 when the Bannockburn police officer saw two men in a truck pull out of a rear driveway behind Dominick's and Walgreens.
With a couple of thefts reported around the shopping center recently, and most stores closed for Easter, the officer at first suspected two men of possibly stealing copper gutters. He followed the Chevy pickup truck up Waukegan Road until it pulled into the gas station at Half Day Road.
The officer interviewed the two men who reportedly "appeared very nervous" and "kept looking around." One suspect's hands started shaking when he was asked what was inside a large duffel bag, but he gave permission to search it anyway, according to reports.
It was full of marijuana, police said.
John Edward Fitzgerald, 33, of Carmel, Ind., and Kyle Andrew Halvorsen, 31, of Oakland, Calif., were each charged with felony possession and unlawful delivery of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana as well as trafficking more than 2,500 grams of marijuana.
Taking the suspects back to the station, police enlisted the help of Lake County's Metropolitan Enforcement Group for the drug investigation. They sorted through 19 bundles of triple-bagged marijuana with labels such as "OGT" and "Sour Purple Monkey Balls," according to reports.
Officers allegedly found a couple of knives and only a few hundred dollars cash on the suspects, leading police to believe they may have been suppliers on their way to a deal.
One suspect was found with two prescription notes for one-half ounce of marijuana per week, signed by a California doctor, police said. A set of handwritten driving directions found inside the car ended with instructions to turn into Bannockburn Green, according to police reports.
"I think it had something to do with medical marijuana out in California," Police Chief Kevin Tracz said. "They met here and whether they were dropping off or picking up was not clear."
No other suspects were found or identified. The men's court dates were not available.
Source: Deerfield Review
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