Illinois Police Claim Alton Home Was Used to Deal Drugs

Police in Illinois charged a 27-year-old man with felony counts of dealing drugs within 500 feet of a school and 500 feet of a church on after searching his Alton residence on the morning of Oct. 4. Officers from the Alton Police Department and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System were involved in the search and arrest.

An APD representative says that the search of the Central Avenue home came after an investigation lasting several months. Police became interested in the property after receiving a letter from a neighbor who claimed that it could be being used to sell drugs. The APD says that it also received several anonymous phone calls echoing the claims made in the letter. Following the search, officials from the city’s Housing and Code Enforcement Division declared the house unsafe and uninhabitable.

Police say that the investigation into the man’s activities is ongoing and further charges could be filed against him and others. Reports say that a number of local residents gathered outside the house as it was being searched and cheered the officers involved. The APD has vowed to maintain a strong police presence in the neighborhood to deter drug dealers and protect local residents.

When presented with facts like those in this case, experienced criminal defense attorneys may study law enforcement reports closely to determine what kind of evidence was discovered during police searches. The penalties for serious drug offenses are severe, but proving narcotics charges beyond reasonable doubt is rarely straightforward. Attorneys may seek to have the evidence discovered during searches ruled inadmissible and drug charges dismissed when police may have violated rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.

Source: RiverBender.com, “Alton man is arrested on drug charges after ILEAS search”, Dan Brannan, Oct. 4, 2018