Officers from the Round Lake Park Police Department, the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team (NIPAS EST) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office seized another $500,000 in marijuana Monday, October 16, 2017 related to an ongoing investigation of a cartel-affiliated drug ring that already suspected of possessing a previously seized amount of marijuana estimated at $3 million.
Officers and deputies discovered about 100 pounds of marijuana at a home in the block of 34000 Bergen Street in Ingleside, according to Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko. Maria T. Villa-Mauleon, 30, of 400 block of Meadow Green in Round Lake Beach is reported to be connected to the Ingleside Address. She was arrested last week after police seized about 600 pounds of marijuana from her home and a storage unit assigned in her name.
Villa-Mauleon remains in custody at the Lake County jail on $1 million bail, facing charges of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of more than 5,000 grams of cannabis. Villa-Mauleon also faces a weapons charge stemming from the discovery of a loaded AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and additional ammunition, according to law enforcement officers.
Villa-Mauleon’s arrest came after Jose Avila-Zumadio, 32, of Guadalajara, Mexico, was pulled over on a traffic violation October 7, 2017 near Route 134 and Fairlawn Drive in Round Lake Park, according to Round Lake Park police.
During an inventory of Avila-Zumadio’s vehicle, police recovered a forged Mexican passport, $1,900 in cash, and about 3 1/4 pounds of marijuana with a street value of approximately $15,000, police said.
Avila-Zumadio told police investigators he was working for a cartel out of Guadalajara, Mexico, but refused to say more out of fear for his family’s safety, according to Round Lake Park Police Department. Jose Avila-Zumadio is charged with unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of cannabis and forgery, and is being held in the Lake County jail on $500,000 bail.
The arrest led police to Villa-Mauleon’s Round Lake Beach home and the storage unit last week, and then the Ingleside property on Monday, October 16, 2017. Villa-Mauleon’s Ingleside house was vacant at the time of the search, and no additional arrests were made.
Villa-Mauleon is scheduled to appear in court November 9, 2017 for a preliminary hearing.
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Maria T Villa-Mauleon, drug charges Ingleside, Round Lake Park, Lake County; unlawful possession of more than 5,000 grams of cannabis, weapons charge.
Jose Avila-Zamudio, unlawful possession of cannabis suspect.
