La Grange Home Site Of Prostitutes, Drug Parties: Cops

LA GRANGE, IL – Over the summer, residents in a La Grange neighborhood complained to police about a house where they said drug activity was taking place.

They also said they often saw young women showing up with luggage. They suspected prostitution was occurring, although no one was charged with that crime, records show.

The house is in the 800 block of South Catherine Avenue.

Through a public records request, Patch on Friday obtained the police report on the arrests of seven people at the house.

Police said they found evidence of fentanyl, meth, cocaine and marijuana in the house.

Before an Oct. 27 drug bust, officers had worked with the local garbage company to check the home's trash, where they collected drug evidence, according to the report.

With a Cook County SWAT team, authorities raided the house shortly before 6 a.m. Eleven people were inside.

Paul Nutting, 52, who is believed to have lived in the house for two decades, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

In an interview, Nutting told police that he lets his friends stay at his house, though he doesn't know all of them well, police said. He said he made a lot of money by selling a business.

Nutting also said he likes to party and that he smokes cocaine and drinks most days, according to the report.

He said he buys cocaine for $500 to $1,000 at a time for personal consumption, not dealing, police said. He denied knowing about fentanyl in the house.

One of those arrested was Adrian R. Bauer, 22, of Chicago, who is accused of felony drug possession.

According to the report, Bauer denied doing drugs, but said he does household chores for Nutting, calling him a "nice guy" who likes to help others.

Police said their field tests showed narcotics in Bauer's room.

One of the people in the house told officers that Nutting brings prostitutes to parties in the house and that everyone brings their own drugs, the report said.

A woman in the house told officers that she was a prostitute at times, but said no one forced her to do anything, police said.

Courtney M. Palutsis, 32, of Chicago, who was charged with felony possession, acknowledged buying $10 bags of heroin in Chicago, police said. She also said she was worried about Italians coming to the house because Nutting owes money.

Also arrested on a felony possession charge was Nicole V. Schmidt, 39, of Midlothian, who was wearing a Lyons Township High School shirt in her mugshot, records show. Nutting said Schmidt was his girlfriend, the report said.

Officers also arrested three people on warrants – a 26-year-old Chicago Heights woman, a 33-year-old Niagara, Wisconsin, woman; and a 45-year-old Chicago man.