Crime & Safety
Oak Lawn Man Busted with Contraband Cigarettes
Police said they found more than 1,000 packs of illegal smokes in his car.
An Oak Lawn man busted with 128 cartons of contraband cigarettes this week appeared in court Wednesday.
Sheriff’s Police arrested 21-year-old Mohammad Nakhleh at 11:25 p.m. Monday in the 9500 block of South 85th Court in Hickory Hills after officers found 128 cartons – 1,280 packs – of cigarettes with Indiana tax stamps in his vehicle. Officers had pulled the vehicle over for not having a front license plate and discovered the contraband cigarettes during a search of the car.
Nakhleh, of Oak Lawn, was charged Tuesday with unlawful possession of more than a 1,000 packs of contraband cigarettes, a class 3 felony. Bail was set at $40,000 Wednesday morning at the Bridgeview Courthouse, according to a release from the county.
Nakhleh also was fined $36,000 by the Cook County Department of Revenue, according to a sheriff's department release.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
