An Aurora man charged two years ago with having $1.35 million worth of heroin in his home will go before a judge next month for a bench trial, court records show.
Modesto Alarcon, who turns 44 in two weeks, remains in Kane County Jail on $15 million bail in connection to his 2014 arrest on heroin possession and distribution charges, as well as alleged financial crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. Twice in the last year Alarcon has been unsuccessful in asking a judge to throw out statements he made or limit evidence prosecutors can present in the case.
Kane County prosecutors charged Alarcon after a search of his Grove Street home turned up approximately 9 kilograms of heroin, $85,000 in cash, a loaded handgun and armor-piercing bullets. The heroin seizure is believed to be the largest in the county’s history.
Authorities sought to question Alarcon and subsequently search the home, after seeing him meet with two men from Evanston who were found carrying $190,000 in cash during a traffic stop, court records state. Alarcon consented to the search and even acknowledged he had 7 or 8 kilograms in the home, according to documents detailing his initial interaction with police.
In one of his failed motions, Alarcon contended he did not sign a consent form to allow investigators to search the home, a vehicle and a detached garage. However, officers testified during a hearing they didn’t initially have probable cause for an arrest and approached Alarcon “as part of a consensual encounter.” Alarcon led the officers into the home with his permission, and a conversation followed that ultimately led to the discovery of the drugs and his arrest, officers testified.
Alarcon is scheduled for a Dec. 21 bench trial before Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler, who was not the judge overseeing the case at the time pretrial motions were argued.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.