UTV Faces Forfeiture: Reckless Driving, High-Speed Chase In Channahon

CHANNAHON, IL —In addition to facing felony criminal charges related to an off-road high-speed chase earlier this summer involving the Channahon Police Department, 18-year-old New Lenox resident Chantz Wiechec now faces having his family's 2018 Can-Am Maverick Utility Task Vehicle become a forfeited asset for the police.

Channahon police records identified the vehicle as a recreational off-highway vehicle.

This week, the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow filed its civil forfeiture complaint against Wiechec, who was charged in July with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, criminal damage to property and reckless driving. The complaint indicates that Wiechec damaged the crops of farmer Jeff Bleure, and the damage exceeded $500 but less than $10,000.

According to the civil forfeiture, on June 16 Channahon police officer Albert Distefano saw a reckless driver on a blue UTV with no registration traveling in the area of Route 6 and Navajo Drive and two or three white males were in the UTV.

After the officer activated his squad car's flashing lights and sirens, the UTV drove off the roadway and into the grass to flee, court records show. Another officer tried to stop the UTV as it traveled along Route 6, and the UTV was traveling 35 mph above the 25-mph speed limit, prosecutors noted.

The UTV turned along Maple Street, which is a dead-end street, and drove into the farm fields and entered the woods, police said. Channahon police established a perimeter and said officers later spotted the UTV traveling through planted corn crops, kicking up lots of dust and dirt. As Officer Sean Wuethrich and Sgt. Dustin Carlson tried to stop the UTV, Wiechec turned in front of Sgt. Carlson and fled northbound into the farm fields at a high rate of speed, prosecutors pointed out.

Eventually, police said Officer Brandon Hermann pursued the UTV on foot and found the vehicle stopped and two males nearby. Both surrendered, prosecutors informed the judge. Channahon police detained Wiechec and a 17-year-old juvenile, and both were taken to the police station for booking.

After his arrest, Wiechec was given his notice to appear in court, and now Will County State's Attorneys are asking that a judge declare the Wiechec family's UTV to be a forfeited asset for the police.

According to Will County, Chantz Wiechec is being represented by Joliet criminal defense attorney Joel Murphy of Joel Murphy Law in downtown Joliet. Wiechec's pretrial release conditions were recently modified to allow him to travel to New York for a family vacation during the last week of July. Wiechec's next pretrial hearing for his criminal charges is set for Aug. 28 in Courtroom 405.