Drug agents seize another $618K in suspicious cash off I-80

Bureau County is trying to seize more suspicious cash, this time more than $600,000.

Bureau County State’s Attorney Geno Caffarini has filed forfeiture proceedings on $617,950. A notice was given to Mateo Samora-Cuaxilotl, Deborah Hunter, Peter Crawford and any other claimants to cash seized Sept. 8 in the parking lot of the westbound Interstate 80 rest area in Bureau County. (None of the three is charged with a crime in Bureau County, court records show.)

The cash was seized by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team and marks the second large seizure in as many months. On Aug. 11, Tri-DENT stopped a tractor-trailer on I-80 east of Princeton and seized nearly $9.3 million. Forfeiture proceedings in that case still are pending and no one has made a claim.

But Caffarini said with respect to the $617,950 an attorney has entered an appearance and dates are pending.

If a court orders the $617,950 confiscated, the arresting agency gets 65% of any forfeiture, meaning Tri-DENT would get $401,667.50.

Another quarter would be split between Caffarini’s office and the Office of the Appellate Prosecutor, with each getting $77,243.75. The remaining 10% ($61,795) goes to Illinois State Police.