$4,543 Forfeiture For Drug Dealer Living In Basement: Complaint

BOLINGBROOK, IL - Next week, a Bolingbrook man will learn whether his $4,543 plus $200 in Mexican pesos will become forfeited assets to the police. The Will County State's Attorney Office filed a forfeiture complaint several weeks ago against 22-year-old Alexander Burgos, who faces a Class X felony of manufacturing cocaine, plus felony charges of manufacturing marijuana and ecstasy.

In August, Bolingbrook's Police Department also arrested Joseph Derbas, who still faces felony charges of manufacturing cocaine and possession of controlled substances. Derbas was arrested at his grandmother's house in the 200 block of Walker Drive, court documents show. At the time, police seized $4,543 in cash, the Mexican pesos that have an exchange value of $10.65 and $1 in Romanian Leu, which is worth 25 cents.

According to court records,Bolingbrook Police got a search warrant for the house on Walker Drive back on Aug. 16 in connection with a criminal investigation into the sale of illegal drugs. The police knocked and announced themselves, but nobody answered, so the police barged into the home. Inside, they found the grandmother of Derbas.

She told the police that she and her husband lived there, along with their grandson and "Joseph's friend, Alexander Burgos, has also resided in the residence for approximately four months after being released from prison and pays $350 a month to sleep in the basement," the complaint states.

That day, Bolingbrook Police questioned Derbas whether anything illegal was in the house.

"Joseph stated that there was probably something in the top drawer of the dresser located in the living room next to the television," the complaint states.

Sure enough, the police found cash and "a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance, suspect cocaine," reports show.

Down in the basement, Bolingbrook Police brought along K-9 Johan to conduct a drug sniff. There, the police found three rubber-banded bundles of U.S. cash that added up to $4,233, four $1 silver certificate dollars, $310 in loose cash, the $200 in Mexican Pesos and proof of residency for Burgos, the complaint states.

The basement also turned up digital scales, a glass jar with suspected cocaine as well as one clear plastic bag with suspected cocaine and blue pills and pink pills that were suspected to be ecstasy, court documents state.

But Burgos was not there.

Later, Bolingbrook Police were tipped off that Burgos returned home, so the officers returned. "After a struggle, the handcuffs were placed on Alexander and he was escorted outside and transported to the Bolingbrook Police Department," according to the forfeiture complaint.

Bolingbrook Police later tested the items confiscated from the Walker Drive home.

The complaint states the following:

• 28 grams of cocaine inside a glass jar
• 123 grams of marijuana
• another 10.4 grams of cocaine
• 12 capsules of ecstasy weighing 3.5 grams
• another sandwich baggie of cocaine that weighed 2.5 grams

The forfeiture case is scheduled for a hearing at the Will County Courthouse on Feb. 13.

Burgos has been in the Will County since his arrest on Aug. 17. His bail remains $500,000.

Main mugshot Alexander Burgos via Will County Sheriff's Office