I-80 Traffic Stop Seized $57,335 Cash: Complaint

JOLIET, IL - A forfeiture hearing will take place July 11 at the Will County Courthouse to determine whether the Will County State's Attorney's Office can lawfully seize $57,335 plus a 2005 Honda Accord that were taken by the Illinois State Police four months ago. The huge stash of cash, plus the car, were seized after an Interstate 80 traffic stop on Jan. 20 near New Lenox by the Illinois State Police.

The complaint on file at the courthouse lays out a most unusual scenario for how the police even came upon finding the huge loot. Three Illinois State Troopers from District 5 were involved with a traffic stop at the time when a motorist pulled off I-80 and parked behind one of the State Police cars "and blew his horn."

Two of the troopers spoke with the man, "who stated there were suspicious circumstances regarding a Honda Accord ... that he was hauling on his car hauler semi-trailer," court records show.

Here's what the man told the Illinois State Police that day near Mile Marker 138, according to the complaint:

"An individual he described as a Hispanic male that he picked the 2005 Honda Accord up from, changed the location from the bill of lading address to a truck stop," court documents show. "... when he loaded the vehicle up, it was smoking which seemed peculiar to him for the distance, type and condition of the car and the amount paid to transport the car."

Near New Lenox, the semi-trailer driver gave Illinois State Police permission to search the Honda car that was part of his load. It turned out that the trunk release latch had been removed before it was shipped, the police realized. Eventually, troopers got inside the trunk.

"Trooper Burrow lifted the floor panel and observed a white bag inside the empty spare tire well. Trooper Burrow opened the bag and observed three vacuum sealed bags of cash and a vacuumed sealed handgun," court documents reflect.

The cash in the bag totaled $10,000 and "the currency located in the remaining vacuum sealed bags was then also counted and totaled $47,335," court papers show. "It should also be noted that each of these vacuum sealed bags also emitted a strong smell of raw cannabis upon being opened."

According to Glasgow's office, "the plaintiff has no knowledge of any other person or entity who are owners or interest holders in the subject property."

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