Police: Algonquin shop owner smoked, sold synthetic marijuana
An Elgin man accused of selling synthetic marijuana out of his tobacco store told authorities he smoked the substance five times, was not sure if it was legal in Illinois and thought it could be addictive to younger people smoking more to replicate a 10- to 15-minute "head rush" high, police testified this week.
John G. Monteleone, 47, is on trial in Kane County on charges he possessed and distributed more than 200 grams of a controlled substance, in this case synthetic marijuana out of King Puff-N-Stuff, 1409 Commerce Drive, Algonquin, in fall 2013.
After agents of the North Central Narcotics Task Force, which is a unit of the state police, searched the store in late September 2013, police interviewed Monteleone, state police Sgt. Jeff Ile testified Wednesday.
Ile testified Monteleone told police he was the only employee at the store, kept about 120 one-gram packages of the merchandise in a backroom safe to which only he knew the combination, and he wasn't 100 percent sure the items were legal.
"He said he had used it prior (to then) and it gave him a 10- to 15-minute head rush," Ile said. "He thought it was addictive to young people because they would use it over and over to keep up the head rush."
Monteleone told police he bought the items - which prosecutors say contained chemical compounds found in synthetic marijuana - in one-gram foil packages for $5 each and sold them for $10 each, Ile testified.
Monteleone also provided a written statement to police indicating he sold 20 to 60 one-gram packages a day and had been doing so for two months. He also cooperated with police, telling them there was more in a car outside his home.
Police seized 168 packages from the store and 3,582 one-gram packages from a car outside of Monteleone's home, according to court records.
An forensic scientist testified earlier in the week that all 220 one-gram packages that were tested showed the presence of chemical compounds found in synthetic marijuana.
Monteleone's attorney, Edward Edens, has said his client was assured the "potpourri" was legal for sale and also questioned the police methodology in determining the items seized from the store contained illegal compounds.
The bench trial in front of Judge Linda Abrahamson will resume Friday afternoon. If convicted, Monteleone faces between 12 and 60 years in prison with no chance of probation.
His wife, Tracy Monteleone, 45, also was charged in the case. She pleaded guilty to felony possession of 200 grams of a controlled substance last year, sentenced to the maximum 48 months of probation and issued $15,660 in fines and court costs.