3 Prior DUIs, Joliet Man 'Admitted To Consumed 2 Drinks': Forfeiture

JOLIET — The Joliet Police Department continues to make more arrests of motorists suspected to be under the influence of alcoholic beverages. For some of them, not only do they face criminal charges, they also face losing their automobile as a forfeited civil asset to the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow.

Only Joliet Patch brings you regular coverage of Will County's forfeiture cases. On Monday, Joliet Patch wrote about the new forfeiture filings against Joliet motorist Jose Gomez, and Sammy Mealka, a Palos Heights man accused of being a con artist and entering a Joliet home pretending to be a water department contractor who needs to check the homeowner's faucets for dirty water.

Another such forfeiture filed in recent days at the Will County Courthouse involves Joliet citizen Ivan Gonzalez Franco, who faces the potential loss of his 2013 Buick Enclave.

Joliet police arrested Franco on Feb. 9 near Cass and Collins Street. According to the forfeiture complaint, Joliet officer Beck noticed the Buick Enclave traveling at a high rate of speed and his radar clocked Franco going 20 mph over the 30-mph speed limit.

The officer noticed the vehicle straddle both westbound lanes of Cass Street and the driver's tires were in the left lane and the passenger tires in the right lane. The officer pulled over Franco and he furnished his Illinois State Identification card, the complaint noted.

"Officer Beck observed Ivan's eyes to be bloodshot and watery and Officer Beck immediately smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Ivan's breath," the forfeiture noted. "Ivan Gonzalez Franco admitted to consuming two drinks."

The officer discovered Franco's driving privileges in Illinois showed two active revocations for DUI convictions in August 2022 and March 2014.

"Officer Beck checked Ivan's driving abstract and discovered Ivan had three previous DUI convictions and numerous convictions for driving while license suspended," the complaint noted.

Back at the police station, Franco's breath sample registered 0.204, more than twice the legal limit to be intoxicated in Illinois, the forfeiture revealed. The Joliet police Franco arrested for aggravated driving under the influence and aggravated driving while license revoked.

The forfeiture complaint will go before a Will County judge for a hearing on May 14.

More Joliet Patch forfeiture coverage:

$1,000 Cash Stolen By 'Water Department Contractor': Forfeiture

Joliet Driver With Mexican Passport 'Only Had 2 Beers': Forfeiture