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Crime & Safety

Drug Test Ordered for Marijuana Defendants

Judge requires four area men arrested for possession of marijuana to submit to testing before next court date.

Drug tests were ordered today by Judge Marcia Orr in the Skokie branch of Cook County Criminal Court for four Chicago area men arrested for possession of cannabis by 

“All four (defendants) are willing to submit to a urine drop,” Assistant Cook County State’s attorney Akash Vyas told Orr. She ordered one test today and one more before the next court date at 1:30 p.m. August 24.

Earlier:

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The four defendants are Paul Shapiro, 26, or Skokie, Patrick Folise, 27, of Morton Grove, Mikhail Bezuysuskiy, 27, of Albion and Benjamin Raimondi, 20, of Lake Forest. 

Folies, Bezuyevskiy, Raimondi and the minor were apprehended following a traffic stop on July 6. After the arrest, police executed a search warrant, seizing four pounds of cannabis and $26,000 in cash from Shapiro's apartment located on the Skokie-Wilmette border in the 10000 block of Old Orchard Road, according to a press release issued by the Wilmette Police Department. Shapiro was arrested that evening in Chicago.

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"The offenders were part of a network that was distributing cannabis in north shore communities," the press release said.

Below are the specific charges for each man being tried:

  1. Paul Shapiro:
    CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 500-2000 Grams of marijuana
    BOND: $200,000 D
  2. Patrick J Folise:
    CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana
    BOND: $100,000 D
  3. Mikhail Y Bezuyevskiy
    CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana
    BOND: $100,000 D
  4. Benjamin Raimondi
    CHARGES: Possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana
    BOND: $100,000 D
  5. Juveline Offender
    CHARGES: Petitioned to juvenile court for possession with intent to deliver 10-30 grams of marijuana. Released to parents pending juvenile delinquency hearing.

Check back with Patch Monday for a full update on the reasons the samples were requested by the Court.

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