From: nwi.com
By Bob Kasarda
CHICAGO | Ten people were indicted in federal court Wednesday on allegations stemming from an illegal cigarette trafficking scheme that has also netted charges against a Cook County sheriff’s officer from Lansing and his adult son.
Police said defendants allegedly brought millions of dollars in cash, firearms, narcotics, and counterfeit cigarette tax stamps to purchase millions of unstamped, untaxed cigarettes from two cooperating individuals working undercover with federal agents out of a warehouse in suburban Hickory Hills.
The defendants allegedly paid more than $20 million to buy more than 100 million cigarettes without paying county or state taxes between March 2010 and March 2012.
According to court documents, Lawrence E. Draus, also known as “Eric,” 33, of Peotone, and his father, Lawrence A. Draus, also known as “Larry,” 62, a sheriff’s police officer, who was assigned to the vice unit of the Special Operations Division in Maywood, conspired between June 2011 and February 2012 to commit extortion by obtaining at least $10,000 to protect the cigarette trafficking from the warehouse.
Lawrence E. Draus was also charged with purchasing contraband cigarettes. Both defendants were released on bond and the charges remain pending.
“The distribution of untaxed cigarettes deprives the state and county of significant revenue and this investigation shows that we will work aggressively to ensure that those who allegedly traffic in contraband cigarettes are prosecuted,” said Andrew Traver, special agent in charge of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The 10 indicted Wednesday were from California and elsewhere in Illinois.
