Police Bust Cannabis Ring, Recover $26K in Cash

Four Chicago-area men and one minor have been charged with felony distribution of cannabis, according to a press release from Wilmette Police.

Authorities arrested Paul Shapiro, 26 years-old of Skokie; Patrick Folies, 27-years-old of Morton Grove; Mikhail Bezuyevskiy, 27-years-old of Albion; Benjamin Raimondi, 20-years-old of Lake Forest and a minor from Highwood on July 6 following "an ongoing drug investigation by Wilmette Detectives."

Folies, Bezuyevskiy, Raimondi and the minor were apprehended following a traffic stop earlier on the 6th. After the arrest, police executed a search warrant, seizing four pounds of cannabis and $26,000 in cash from Shapiro's apartment located on the Skokie-Wilmette border in the 10000 block of Old Orchard Road, accoding to the release. Shapiro was arrested that evening in Chicago.

"The offenders were part of a network that was distributing cannabis in north shore communities,"the release said.

Shapiro, Folies, Bezuyevskiy and Raimondi are set to be in court July 22 at 1:30 p.m. at Skokie Courthouse.

Below are the specific charges for each man being tried:

1. Paul Shapiro:
   CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 500-2000 Grams of marijuana
   BOND: $200,000 D
2. Patrick J Folise:
   CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana
   BOND: $100,000 D
3. Mikhail Y Bezuyevskiy
   CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana
   BOND: $100,000 D
4. Benjamin Raimondi
   CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana
   BOND: $100,000 D
5. Juveline Offender
   CHARGES: Petitioned to juvenile court for possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana. Released to parents pending juvenile delinquency hearing.