A routine midafternoon traffic stop on Chicago's South Side turned into a high-stakes arrest on June 18, when deputies say they pulled a loaded handgun, psilocybin mushrooms, cannabis and about $10,000 in cash from a car in Auburn Gresham.
Authorities say the stop happened around 3:30 p.m. in the 8700 block of South Parnell Avenue. The driver, a 21-year-old Oak Lawn man, now faces an armed-violence count along with multiple felony drug charges tied to what investigators say they found inside the vehicle.
According to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled the car over and reported a strong smell of burnt cannabis coming from inside. They also said they saw what appeared to be a cannabis cigar sitting in plain view, which prompted a closer look.
Deputies then recovered a loaded handgun, an extra magazine, suspected cannabis, what the office described as two bars of psilocybin mushrooms and roughly $10,000 in cash, the sheriff's office said. The driver was identified as Abdelrahman Yasean of Oak Lawn and was taken into custody.
What investigators say
Illinois courts have recently tightened the rules on when the smell of cannabis alone can justify a warrantless car search. In People v. Redmond, the Supreme Court of Illinois held that odor by itself is not enough to establish probable cause.
Officers can still search, however, when they have additional facts, such as seeing suspected contraband in plain view. In this case, the sheriff's office says deputies reported both the odor of burnt cannabis and visible cannabis in the form of a cigar, then found the firearm, psilocybin and cash during the stop.
Charges and custody
According to the sheriff's post, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office has charged Yasean with armed violence, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis and manufacture or delivery of cannabis.
He was ordered into custody at the Cook County Jail at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse. Officials emphasized that Yasean, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
What the law says
Under Illinois law, armed violence can be charged when someone commits a felony while armed with a dangerous weapon, a combination that can carry steep penalties. The statute is laid out at 720 ILCS 5/33A-2.
Psilocybin and psilocin are listed as controlled substances in Illinois, and distribution or possession with intent to deliver can be prosecuted as felony offenses under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.
On the cannabis side, Illinois' Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act permits limited adult possession but restricts how and where cannabis can be used. Cannabis in vehicles must be kept in sealed, inaccessible containers, which has led to ongoing debates over how smell and visibility factor into probable-cause decisions. State guidance is outlined in its Cannabis FAQs.
Local pattern
This is not the first time a simple traffic stop has turned into a gun-and-drug case for sheriff's police on the South Side. In January 2025, a deputy traffic stop that uncovered psilocybin and a loaded "ghost" gun was reported by FOX 32 Chicago, one of several recent incidents in which weapons arrests and narcotics enforcement have intersected.
For now, Yasean's case will proceed through the Cook County court system, with the sheriff's office saying the investigation remains ongoing and reiterating that he remains presumed innocent while the charges are pending.
