A routine traffic stop in Naperville landed a Harvey man behind bars on serious drug charges, police said. Erskine Wheeler, 44, was busted with a smidgen of crack cocaine in his car on May 15, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
According to a Naperville Police Department press release, Wheeler, of the 16000 block of Halsted Drive, was initially pulled over near Diehl Road and Raymond Drive for committing multiple traffic violations and that's when cops found .1 grams of the drug and Wheeler took a ride to the police station, where a search turned up an additional 21.1 grams of what's believed to be crack cocaine.
Transported to the Naperville Detention Center, further inspection of Wheeler revealed more of the substance, bringing the total haul to a weighty 21.2 grams, as per the Naperville Police Department. Naperville Police have since slapped him with felony drug charges, including possession of a controlled substance and intent to deliver, which elevates the incident from a simple traffic stop snafu to a major felony case.
The charges against Wheeler are not light; they include a class 1 felony for possession and a class X felony for alleged intent to peddle the controlled substance the authorities are yet to prove Wheeler’s guilt, and in America, you're presumed innocent until the courts declare otherwise, these are the pillars of our justice system that hold, even when someone is caught with a stash of narcotics supposedly tucked in their ride or their clothes, as detailed by the Naperville Police Department.
The Naperville Police have reminded the public in their statement that "a charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty." Wheeler is slated to have his day in court where the charges against him will be addressed.
