Elgin police: Milwaukee man caught with 4.5 pounds of pot, cash on I-90

A 22-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on charges he possessed 4.5 pounds of marijuana after a traffic stop at an Elgin toll booth along Interstate 90, according to police and court records.

Oscar M. Reyes-Souza, of the 1300 block of North Astor Street, also had nearly $1,600, three cellphones and a small amount of cocaine Monday afternoon, police said.

Reyes-Souza faces felony charges of manufacture/delivery and possession of 2,000 to 5,000 grams of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance, according to Kane County court records.

An Elgin police officer on foot patrol in the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 smelled marijuana smoke coming from a black pickup truck as it approached the toll booth at 4:28 p.m. Monday, according to police.

The officer said he looked at the driver, Reyes-Souza, who instantly looked away and appeared to be nervous. The officer told Reyes-Souza, who had bloodshot eyes, to pull over. Reyes-Souza told police he had just smoked a joint and did not have any illegal items in the vehicle, but a drug-sniffing dog alerted authorities to 2,066 grams of marijuana - the equivalent of about 4.5 pounds - that was in a gray bag in the pickup truck's back seat, the report said.

Police said they also found $1,596 cash in assorted denominations, the cellphones and a $20 bill in a jeans pocket in the backpack with a white substance that tested positive for cocaine.

Reyes-Souza is free on bond and due in court Dec. 7. If convicted of the most severe charge, he faces up to 15 years in prison, though probation is an option.