Mokena Man Nabbed for Possession of Controlled Substance; Police Blotter

A Mokena man stopped for a burned out headlight Oct. 1 at 195th Street and LaGrange Road was found to be in possession of a small amount of a controlled substance and weed. 

According to the report, Benjamin Russell, 23, of the 18700 block of S. Leila Drive, was seen driving his 2003 Honda with a burnt out headlight. He was stopped initially for the traffic violation.

Police say he smelled of alcohol and was given a field sobriety test. He told police he had been drinking. While waiting for processing, an officer reportedly noticed him drop a small cellophane package out of his pocket and step on it.

The cellophane allegedly contained five pills of Alprazolam. According to the report, Russell told them that the pills were Zanax; however, he did not have a prescription for them. Tests later revealed that the pills were Alprazolam.

Police ordered the car impounded, but while they waited for the tow truck, a small amount of marijuana, 0.4 grams, was found near the driver's side door.

A check of Russell's license plate revealed that he was also driving on a suspended license.

He was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, driving on a suspended license and improper vehicle lighting.

He was taken to Will County Jail, where he posted 10 percent of a $10,000 bond.

The blotter information is provided by law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.