A man allegedly caught with millions of dollars’ worth of drugs at a Chicago airport on October 24 was let off fairly easy for the time being.
The suspect, Terrence Slaughter, 55, is accused of having $3.5 million worth of cocaine in his bags at Chicago Midway International Airport, CWB Chicago reported Tuesday.
An image shows the man in question:
A man who allegedly carried 62 pounds of cocaine worth $3.5 million in his luggage at Midway Airport was sent home to await trial after prosecutors didn't ask a judge to keep him in jail.https://t.co/iaBYZfrQur
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) October 31, 2023
However, a judge released him and said he was to remain in Illinois until he is due back in court, the outlet continued:
Terrence Slaughter, 55, was arrested at Midway on October 24, the 16th anniversary of the day a federal judge sentenced him to 15.67 years for stealing guns from a retired cop and intentionally selling them to gang members, according to court records.
Chicago police said Slaughter gave investigators consent to search his two roller bags at Midway shortly before 2 p.m. last Tuesday. Cops found 12 vacuum-sealed bags of suspected cocaine in one bag and 11 sealed bags of suspected cocaine in the other, documents accompanying the criminal complaint said.
Social media users who read the report were quick to offer their thoughts on the case, one person writing, “Perfect example of why there’s so much crime!!! Keep criminals in jail!!”
“Im feeling the SAFE-T already,” another user replied. The comment referred to the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act that went into affect September 18 after being signed into law by Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Breitbart News reported September 20.
The outlet detailed one instance of how it was affecting the community:
Esmeralda Aguilar, 24, had been arrested Sunday on four counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer after police said she used pepper-spray on four Chicago officers during Mexican Independence Day festivities, the Washington Times reported.
However, despite her attack on the police, Aguilar was released without bail on Monday morning thanks to the SAFE-T Act.
Per the CWB Chicago article, officials found over 60 pounds of suspected cocaine that was reportedly valued at $3,518,125.
Slaughter was eventually charged with Class X manufacture-delivery of the drug, but prosecutors failed to request Judge David Kelly hold the suspect before his trial date.
“So, the judge released him with instructions to show up for court, stay in the state, and stay away from Midway, the clerk of court records show,” the report said.
