Last week, Naperville police arrested an Aurora man for alleged possession of a stolen vehicle, which led to authorities allegedly finding multiple illegal firearms and almost 775 grams of cocaine, per a press release from the Naperville Police Department and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Aurora man denied pre-trial
Dionte Neustadter, 46, was denied pre-trial release by a judge on Feb. 26.
He was charged with one count of aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, one count of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance – cocaine between 400-900 grams, one count of possession of a machine gun, eight counts of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, and one count of misdemeanor fleeing and eluding a police officer.
Report of stolen vehicle leads to police finding firearms and cocaine
In early January, the police department received information to be on the lookout for a 2024 Ford F150 Raptor with Tennessee license plates, which was “possibly stolen,” and had been spotted in Naperville multiple times.
On Jan. 15, officers saw the car at a gas station on North Aurora Road. As the car pulled away from the station, heading north, officers tried to stop the driver for an alleged traffic violation. As an officer approached the car, the driver drove off and escaped. The driver was later identified as Neustadter.
The next month, on Feb. 24, Naperville officers took Neustadter into custody after finding him outside his car at the 1100 block of East Ogden Avenue. Upon arrest, police allegedly found 21 grams of cocaine in his possession.
After getting a search warrant for his home, authorities also allegedly found a stolen Ford Raptor key fob, six pistols, two of which were reported stolen out of Country Club Hills and Whiteside County, a loaded and shortened AR-15 rifle ghost gun, and a loaded handgun “with defaced serial numbers.” Around $47,000 and 753 grams of cocaine were also seized by police.
Case “rapidly expanded in scope” says Naperville police chief
Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres commended his officers for their work.
“What started out as an investigation into a possible stolen vehicle rapidly expanded in scope and complexity, but our investigators didn’t miss a beat,” said Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres. “I’m grateful for their efforts on behalf of our community and thankful to State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his staff for their support.”
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin thanked Naperville police for their efforts in “keeping our neighborhoods safe.”
“The arrest of the defendant in this case is a testament to the professional, vigilant work of the Naperville Police Department,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin in the news release. “Their efforts also led to charges against Mr. Neustadter, a convicted felon who, by law, is not allowed to legally possess a firearm.
Neustadter’s next court appearance is March 23.
Photo courtesy: DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
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