Chicago man jailed on cocaine charges

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, June 25, 2003

A Chicago man is facing drug charges in Lincoln County followingan early Tuesday morning traffic stop that netted three kilogramsof cocaine and other seized items, said Chris Picou, sheriff’sdepartment narcotics officer.

Robby J. Cueto, 28, of 3532 South Wolcott St., Chicago, wasstopped around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday near the 36 mile marker onInterstate 55. Picou said Cueto, in a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am, wasdriving carelessly.

Picou said Cueto, who told the officer he was going from Houstonto Chicago, was “extremely nervous.” He also noticed limitedoperation of the passenger side window.

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“The window would only go about three-quarters of the way down,”Picou said.

Picou said he received consent to search the vehicle and thennoticed evidence of tampering to the door. He discovered thecocaine inside the door panel.

“I could feel one of the packages in there,” Picou said.

The vehicle was then towed to the sheriff’s department, where atotal of three kilograms of cocaine was found in the car.

Cueto was arrested and charged with possession of more than onekilogram of cocaine with intent to distribute and careless driving.He remained in jail late Tuesday and no bond had been set.

Picou estimated the drugs to be worth $60,000 to $70,000. Inaddition to the drugs, also seized were a nine millimeter pistol,$264 in cash and a laptop computer.

Sheriff Lynn Boyte said the drugs likely were not destined forLincoln County. Nevertheless, it is important to keep drugs off thestreets.

“It shows you what’s out there and our guys are doing afantastic job of keeping drugs off the street,” Boyte said.

Boyte said he hoped to be able to sell the vehicle and useproceeds to supplement the sheriff’s department drug enforcementefforts.