Teen With 998 Vape Cartridges Faces $9,150 Forfeiture: Complaint

JOLIET, IL — A major drug raid by police at a house on Gaylord Road in January resulted in the arrest of 19-year-old Nicholas Gravitt. Now, the State's Attorney's Office wants a Will County judge to declare the $9,150 confiscated during the raid as a forfeited asset for the police, court filings show.

However, the forfeiture is being challenged by the defendant's father, Howard Gravitt, who is the owner of the property where the raid occurred. Howard Gravitt has hired the law offices of Blake Stone, a Joliet law firm, to contest the forfeiture.

"Claimant obtained the currency via his employment (as) a self-employed carpentry contractor and side jobs at Menards in Crest Hill," the Joliet law firm for Howard Gravitt argues in court filings. "Claimant was wholly unaware of his 19-year-old son's illegal drug activity. He did not authorize such activity and none of the cash seized was the proceeds of any illicit source, drug transaction, etc."

According to the complaint, officers with the Will County Cooperative Police Assistance Team raided the house in the 2600 block of Gaylord Road Jan. 29. At the time of the raid, Nicholas Gravitt and another young man were inside, court records show.

Inside Gravitt's bedroom, police found a stolen Springfield XD .45 caliber handgun with a loaded magazine, according to the criminal complaint. Police also found 75 loose .45 caliber bullets, 482 grams of loose marijuana and $1,885.52 in cash, court records show.

But police say that wasn't all. Officers also recovered 998 vape cartridges containing THC oil and, "located underneath the floor in a bedroom that was not livable, officers located a large bundle of United States currency, later revealed to be a total of $9,150. There was a strong (smell) of cannabis inside of both bedrooms," the forfeiture complaint reveals.

Nicholas Gravitt spoke with police prior to being hauled away in handcuffs, authorities said.

"Nicholas Gravitt advised that only half of the vape carts were his and someone else would come and pick the others up," court documents note. "Gravitt further advised that he pays $14 per cart and then sells them for about $50 per cart. Additionally, Gravitt advised that he had traded weed for the .45-caliber handgun that was located in his bedroom and that he had it for his protection. Gravitt was then arrested and taken into custody for the admission that he sells cannabis and vape cartridges."

Four months later, the State's Attorney's Office asked that a judge declare $9,150 as a forfeited asset, under a violation of the Cannabis Control Act and Controlled Substances Act.

A court hearing on the matter is set for 9 a.m. July 10.

Nicholas Gravitt spent more than a week in the Will County Jail until posting 10 percent of his bail, which was set at $100,000.

At the courthouse, Gravitt now faces two marijuana offenses and two charges involving the illegal possession of guns and ammunition. He is being represented by downtown Joliet lawyer Cosmo Tedone, court records show.