Lakemoor adult, smoke shop accused of selling synthetic marijuana
Editor's note: Court records show Hubick pleaded guilty on April 18, 2013, to a misdemeanor count of attempted possession of a controlled substance. As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, he was sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service. Charges of possession of a controlled substance were dropped as part of a plea deal. Loconti was found not guilty of possession of a controlled substance on April 18, 2013.
Two partners in an adult novelty and smoke shop were busted for selling synthetic marijuana after a three-month undercover investigation, Lakemoor police announced Friday.
William J. Hubick, 61, and Cheryl Loconti, 53, both of McHenry, were charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. Loconti and Hubick are free on bail, with hearings set for May 10 in Lake County circuit court.
Lakemoor Police Chief William Kushner said Hubick and Loconti are partners in The Roll Zone on Route 120. Lakemoor village board trustees voted to revoke The Roll Zone's business license at a meeting Thursday night.
Loconti and Hubick weren't available for comment Friday.
Police said a man pulled over on a traffic stop in Lakemoor, who was found with some synthetic pot, led to the start of the probe three months ago.
#8220;He admitted he bought the (fake weed) at The Roll Zone because they had the best stuff,#8221; Kushner said.
Kushner said Lakemoor cops working undercover made purchases of the synthetic marijuana at The Roll Zone, which Kushner said is an adult novelty and smoke shop. Kushner said the substances were submitted for analysis with the Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory in Chicago before Lake County prosecutors obtained search warrants for the business.
Kushner said police seized more than 45 pounds of the synthetic cannabis in individual packages and a firearm on execution of the search warrant at The Roll Zone. Mayor Todd Weihofen said drug sales won't be tolerated in Lakemoor.
#8220;Three times (police) were able to buy synthetic marijuana,#8221; Weihofen said.
Under a state law effective since January, a wider net was cast in an effort to prohibit all compounds sold over the counter that often are smoked by users to get the same high as marijuana.
State lawmakers previously tried to ban fake marijuana sold as potpourri and called K2, K4 or #8220;spice,#8221; but manufacturers changed the chemical compounds to make the products legal again. Authorities said the bogus pot has been sold under brand names such as Pink Panther, Wild Greens and Kush.