Gurnee lawyer charged in drug case

A Gurnee attorney is scheduled to appear in court June 17 to face charges of cocaine and marijuana possession stemming from a traffic stop in Lindenhurst.

Peter Kalagis, 46, was arrested May 24 after a Lindenhurst police officer saw him driving a car with two different license plates.

Police Cmdr. George Moravec said Kalagis was driving a 2005 Nissan Armada with a state license plate on the front bumper and a temporary registration card on the rear of the vehicle.

The officer stopped Kalagis' vehicle, Moravec said, and discovered through a records check that Kalagis had a suspended driver's license.

Court records show Kalagis was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol by Gurnee police last year, but the charge was dropped Nov. 17 after a judge ruled in favor of Kalagis in a motion.

However, the summary suspension of his license remained in effect because he refused to submit to a Breathalyzer exam, the records show, and is due to be lifted June 29.

Moravec said after Kalagis was taken into custody on the suspended license charge, an inventory search of his vehicle was done before it was towed from the scene.

Moravec said the officer discovered a small amount of marijuana and a pipe under a floor mat on the driver's side front seat area.

The car was towed to a secure location, Moravec said, and a drug-detecting dog was used to inspect the vehicle.

The dog indicated the presence of drugs in two places, Moravec said, and a search warrant to allow the police to go back inside the car was obtained.

Moravec said another small amount of marijuana was found, and a crumpled cigarette pack containing 1.3 grams of cocaine and a rolled-up $1 bill was also discovered.

Toxicology and DNA tests have been ordered on all evidence taken from the vehicle, Moravec said.

Kalagis did not return several phone calls seeking comment late Friday.

Kalagis has been a practicing attorney since 1995. Among the clients he has defended is Jennifer LaPenta, who was jailed last month for wearing an obscene T-shirt into the courtroom of Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg.

Moravec said Kalagis, who lives in the 7000 block of Cascade Way in Gurnee but has offices in Park Ridge, posted $4,000 in cash for bond and was released from custody.

Police will also move to confiscate the vehicle Kalagis was driving at the time of his arrest, Moravec said.