4 Men Accused Of Illegal Pot Sales At Gurnee CBD Store

GURNEE, IL — Four people were arrested and authorities recovered over $500,000-worth of marijuana at a local CBD store Friday, according to the Gurnee Police Department. In a news release, the department said the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team was requested to help Gurnee police conduct a search warrant at a CBD store in the 400 block of Route 21 as part of an investigation into illegal cannabis sales. At 6:50 p.m., NIPAS and Gurnee Police executed the search warrant at the store, leading to the arrest of three men from Waukegan and one from Zion.

A tip from the Crime Stoppers hotline and several other sources included reports of suspicious drug sales and activity at the CBD store, according to the news release. The reports included claims of illegal cannabis sales, employees armed with weapons, and a plan for a store robbery, the news release said.

During the investigation, detectives confirmed the cash-based business — registered with the Village of Gurnee to sell CBS products and accessories — was also selling unauthorized marijuana and THC-infused projects through a private room in the store, even though it wasn't approved by the state or Village as a licensed cannabis dispensary, according to the news release.

Based on the information authorities had regarding the store's operations and the possibility of weapons inside, detectives got a search warrant for the business, and asked for NIPAS to help execute the warrant, out of an abundance of caution, police said.

“The alarming accusations about the inner workings of the business led to a quick response from our investigators," Gurnee Police Department Chief Brian Smith said. "The VOP team carefully investigated this case and stopped a potential threat of violence and what could have been a dangerous situation We are grateful for the support given to us by NIPAS to ensure the operation went smoothly.”

Investigators recovered $25,000 in cash and 200 pounds of cannabis product valued at over $500,000, according to the news release.

Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik was pleased with the response taken by police and added, “I am proud of the swift and decisive action by the Gurnee Police Department to shut down this brazen criminal operation.”

David Vega, 22, from Zion, and 24-year-old Adrian Gonzalez, 39-year-old Juan M. Gonzalez, and 34-year-old Victor M. Tapia, from Waukegan, are facing charges stemming from accusations in the investigation. Each are facing a charge for felony possession and delivery of more than 5,000 grams of cannabis substance, which has a mandatory minimum sentence of six to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to police.

Patch will update this news as more information becomes available.