A South Side gas station smoke shop turned into a crime scene on July 8, when sheriff’s police say a search of the City Smoke counter inside a storefront on the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue uncovered tens of pounds of illegal drugs and a loaded gun. The 26-year-old employee behind the counter was hauled away in cuffs and now faces multiple felony counts, including armed violence and manufacture or delivery charges tied to cannabis and psilocybin mushroom products.
According to sheriff’s police, investigators with the Organized Crime Division executed a search warrant at City Smoke and reported finding roughly 48 pounds of cannabis products, about 18 pounds of psilocybin mushroom products and a loaded firearm. Officers took 26-year-old Ahmad Awadh into custody. In a post from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, officials said prosecutors later charged Awadh with armed violence, manufacture or delivery of cannabis and manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. The sheriff’s account says the operation zeroed in on the smoke-shop counter inside the gas-station storefront on South Damen.
Authorities say the raid is part of a broader push to crack down on retailers accused of selling regulated products without the right state paperwork. Hoodline recently reported a separate Berwyn smoke-shop sweep that recovered about 36 kilograms of suspected cannabis and alleged psilocybin, a sign that suburban shops are getting attention too. Local officials note that selling cannabis products without a state license can bring both criminal charges and administrative penalties, which can be a painful double hit for small-business operators.
What investigators found
Sheriff’s police say the cannabis and mushroom products were not sitting around like a personal stash. According to their account, the goods were packaged for sale, and a loaded firearm was also seized during the warrant. Investigators have not named any additional suspects and say the case remains open while evidence is processed. Officials are asking anyone with information tied to the operation to contact sheriff’s detectives as the investigation moves forward.
Charges and legal stakes
The accusations put Awadh in serious legal territory under Illinois law. Armed violence is treated as an aggravated felony when committed while armed with a dangerous weapon and can significantly increase potential prison time on top of any related conviction. See 720 ILCS 5/33A-2. Prosecutors also have the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to work with, which bans manufacturing or delivering controlled substances and scales penalties by the quantity involved. See 720 ILCS 570.
Next steps in court
According to the sheriff’s office, Awadh was ordered into the chief judge’s pre-trial electronic monitoring program after an initial appearance at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse. Prosecutors will now review the evidence to decide whether to pursue indictments, and if the case advances, additional hearings will be set in Cook County court. Officials also stressed that Awadh, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
