LITH PD Makes First Area Bust For Synthetic Marijuana

Lake in the Hills police Tuesday arrested a local retailer for possession of synthetic marijuana in the first such McHenry County bust since State law was revamped last year to try to keep up with chemists. Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, a felony, was 35 year-old Elesh D. Modi, 42 W. Mundhank Dr., South Barrington, owner of LITH's Cigarette Depot, 162 N. Randall Road.

Director of Police and Public Safety Jim Wales said investigators, acting on tips from parents that Modi was selling synthetic pot to their kids, seized 63 packages of "incense" at his store May 25.  Plant material doused with chemical variations of THC, the intoxicating compound in pot, or more powerful psychoactive drugs, has been illegal in Illinois since 2010 but legislators had to update the list last year as bootleg chemists developed new not-yet-illegal compounds. Wales said tests at the Rockford State Crime Lab showed the stuff Modi kept in a shoebox under the counter had been laced with one of the chemicals now on the State's list of prohibited substances and obtained a warrant for his arrest.

Wales said LITH PD's been on the lookout for synthetic marijuana for more than a year because it's worse than the natural kind.  "The experience has been that when there's a reaction to it they're having a significant reaction," said Wales. "The results are horrendous in some situations."  The death of a delusional Aurora 19 year-old who crashed his car into a house at 100 miles per hour last year was the impetus behind the most recent update of the law.

Modi posted $1,000 against $10,000 bail and was released Wales said.  If convicted he could face one to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.

LITH Police have conducted info sessions for retailers, an educational meeting for parents and three inspections sweeps so far to stem the sale and use of synthetic marijuana.  "We're going to do whatever we can do to eliminate this stuff from our village," Wales said.

In the pic:  (above)  LITH PD said investigators found synthetic marijuana under the counter at this smoke shop.  (below) Owner Elesh D. Modi, charged with Unlawful Possession.