NEWS RELEASE

RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT 31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546

13 January 2014
Contact:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chief Thomas Weitzel
tweitzel@riverside.il.us

708.447.2127

Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside

Cannabis Odor So Strong That Officer Makes Traffic Stop and Arrest Just From Smell Alone
Marijuana odor so bad that police are able to make arrest and shutdown mobile distribution lab On Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 11:30 p.m., a Riverside Police Officer on routine patrol, northbound on Harlem on 26th Street, observed a car that was traveling southbound on Harlem with its windows down. He saw smoke and smelled burnt cannabis as the car passed him. The smell and odor of cannabis was so strong that the officer made a U-turn and proceeded southbound Harlem following directly behind the car. As the officer pulled over and approached the car on the 3400 block of South Harlem, he could definitely smell cannabis emitting from the car. When the officer made contact with the driver, who was later identified as Litroy M. Bolton, the officer continued to smell a strong odor of fresh cannabis coming from the vehicle. The officer inquired if the driver had been smoking and the individual first responded that he had smoked a "blunt" earlier in the evening. The driver was asked to exit the vehicle. When the driver was asked to get out of the car, he voluntarily gave the officer a small amount of cannabis that he had in his jacket to the officer. The cannabis was produced in a bag with what appeared to be packaged for delivery. The driver was immediately placed under arrest. While the officers were searching the vehicle, they located a black plastic bag which contained a green leafy substance with several small plastic baggies that also were packaged for delivery. This property was taken as evidence and was field tested positive for cannabis. Additionally, police confiscated open alcohol in the car including Tequila and a pineapple juice mix which also included Tequila. Once in police custody, a further search revealed additional cannabis on the defendant's body. The cannabis that was located on Mr. Bolton's body was packaged in small plastic bags for delivery. Mr. Bolton was charged with felony possession of cannabis, felony possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, illegal transportation of open alcohol and several related traffic tickets. Arrested, Litroy M. Bolton, 27 of the 1800 block of S. Avers in Chicago. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Bolton was driving a red 1998 Jeep. Riverside Police have also confiscated that Jeep and will seek civil asset forfeiture on the vehicle.

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, The defendant in this case had a mobile cannabis distribution lab in his possession. He had a large amount of cannabis and most of it was packaged in individual baggies for delivery. When the cannabis smell is so strong that while a police officer is driving on the street he can smell it from an opposite direction while on patrol, I can really think of no better probable cause to arrest somebody then that.

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