On July 14, it was reported that four Illinois residents were taken into custody after authorities received a tip about a suspicious odor coming from an apartment complex in Pana. The apartment complex was located in the 300 block of US Highway 52.
When a K-9 officer arrived at the scene, several individuals were allegedly found in one of the apartments. They were identified as a 23-year-old Neoga man, a 30-year-old Neoga woman, a 36-year-old Pana man and a 25-year-old Salem woman. When a search of the apartment was conducted, authorities reportedly recovered 135 grams of what was suspected to be bath salts. Drug paraphernalia was also recovered in addition to more than $8,500 in cash.
Three of the individuals were taken into police custody before being charged with several drug offenses, including possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and delivery of a controlled substance. The fourth person, the 25-year-old Salem woman, was taken into custody on five outstanding warrants and for driving with a suspended license.
Those who are facing drug charges could also be facing life-impacting penalties if they are convicted on those charges. Not only can accused individuals be sentenced to prison, but they will also be left with a criminal record that could prevent them from being able to build a life after they have completed their sentence. A criminal law attorney could mount a strong defense that challenges the validity of the charges or the evidence against an accused person. In some cases, the attorney could argue that the accused person was in the wrong place at the wrong time or that the authorities violated the person’s rights during the investigation.
Source: FOX Illinois, “4 arrested in Pana for suspected bath salts“, July 14, 2017
