WILTON — Nearly 400 pounds of marijuana were seized in a drug bust on Preserve Way Tuesday.
The
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration along with the Capital District
Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted the bust at 22 Preserve Way
Tuesday afternoon. Eric Canori, 30, of that address, and Melissa Giove,
37, of Chesapeake, Va. were both arrested on charges they conspired to
posses and distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
DEA
spokesperson Erin Mulvey said the DEA learned of Giove and Canori’s
plans when Illinois State Police notified them about a suspicious
traffic stop on June 13. DEA officials put their vehicle under
surveillance until it arrived in Wilton. Mulvey said the drugs’ final
destination is “still under investigation.”
Giove, a former
professional mountain biker, and Canori were arraigned in front of U.S.
Magistrate Judge David R. Homer Wednesday and were remanded to custody
of U.S. Marshals pending detention hearings Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
Between
about June 12 and June 16 Giove, Canori, and others agreed to receive
and then further distribute about 384 pounds of marijuana, according to
information from the DEA. Following their arrests, a box-trailer
belonging to Giove on Preserve Way and Canori’s residence on the same
road were searched. Approximately 400 pounds of marijuana were seized
in the trailer and residence, along with drug packaging materials, a
money counter and other drug paraphernalia, and over one million
dollars in U.S. currency. If convicted, Giove and Conari face a
mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a maximum penalty of 40 years
imprisonment and a fine of up to $2 million.
The case was
investigated by the Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force; the
New York State Police; the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central
District of Illinois; the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group; the
Henry County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office; the DEA Rock Island,
Illinois Post of Duty; the DEA Norfolk, Virginia Resident Office; and
the Illinois State Police.
Following the defendants' initial
appearance, DEA Special Agent in Charge Gilbride stated, "(Drug)
trafficking can lead you downhill fast. From championship mountain
biking to street level drug dealing, the only reason people turn to
drug trafficking is to make a profit from the sale of illicit
narcotics. DEA and our law enforcement partners successfully put the
brakes on this drug trafficking organization and put them out of
business."
A friend who's house I bike at is less than a mile away from there.
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