Update: Drug Tests Could Lead to Plea Deal

 for four Chicago-area men arrested on charges of felony distribution of cannabis by Wilmette police might be the groundwork for a court settlement.

The four defendants—Paul Shapiro, 26, of Skokie; Patrick Folise, 27, of Morton Grove; Mikhail Bezuysuskiy, 27, of Albion; and Benjamin Raimondi, 20, of Lake Forest—want to show they are not drug users if they consider a plea bargain.

(Earlier:

Shapiro, Folise, Bezuysuskiy, Raimondi along with a minor from Highwood were by Wilmette police July 6 during a traffic stop. As a result, police obtained a warrant to search Shapiro’s home on the Skokie-Wilmette border and found 4 pounds of cannabis along with $26,000 in cash, according to Wilmette police. 

“In the event any of the defendants enter into a plea bargain, it [the drug test] will be used as mitigation,” said Folise's attorney, Patrick Walsh.

The test will show whether Folise, Shapiro, Bezuysuskiy and Raimondi used any drugs before or on Friday. 

“All four [defendants] are willing to submit to a urine drop,” Akash Vyas, a prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, told Orr when the defendants first appeared before her.

The Circuit Court judge ordered the test last week and another before the next court date at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 24. 

“I want one [drug test] today as a baseline,” said Orr, who wanted to know if they defendants had used drugs recently.

The second test is intended to indicate their behavior as the case progresses.

Shapiro remains free on $200,000 bond while the other three have posted the necessary percentage of the $100,000 bonds to make bail.

Stay tuned to Patch for more on the story.