Nearly $17 Million Worth of Marijuana Found Less Than 2 Miles from Elmhurst City Limits

Two men each are being held on a $10 million bond after they were arrested for possession of 3,700 pounds of marijuana Saturday, Aug. 27.

In the evening hours of Friday, Aug. 26, undercover agents with DuMeg allegedly saw Luis Pichardo, 32, of 138 N. 18th Ave., Melrose Park, and Ignacio Morales, 28, of the same address, acting suspiciously at a business in Addison.

The men left the business and were pulled over by Addison police for traffic violations a short time later. Pichardo, the driver, reportedly did not have a valid drivers license and was arrested. During the stop, a police dog showed a positive response.

In the early morning hours on Saturday, Aug. 27, a search warrant was obtained for the Addison business, located at 135 Laura Drive. Inside, DuMeg officers recovered 3,700 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $16.8 million.

Pichardo and Morales have each been charged with one count of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver (over 5,000 grams), which is a Class X felony punishable by up to six to 30 years in prison.

The men appeared in DuPage bond court on Monday, where Judge Else set their bond at $10 million each. Both men are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 19 for arraignment in front of Judge Robert Kleeman.

“I would like to commend officials at DuMeg for their solid police work in this case,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said Monday. “Because of their efforts, nearly 2 tons of marijuana will not make it to the streets. I would also like to thank Assistant State’s Attorney Audrey Anderson for her continued efforts in protecting society from illegal drugs and the pain and heartache they can bring.”

This complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendants’ guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.