(725 ILCS 175/5) (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 1655)

Sec. 5. (a) A person who commits the offense of narcotics racketeering shall:

(1) be guilty of a Class 1 felony; and

(2) be subject to a fine of up to $250,000.

A person who commits the offense of narcotics racketeering or who violates Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act shall forfeit to the State of Illinois: (A) any profits or proceeds and any property or property interest he has acquired or maintained in violation of this Act or Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act or has used to facilitate a violation of this Act that the court determines, after a forfeiture hearing, under subsection (b) of this Section to have been acquired or maintained as a result of narcotics racketeering or violating Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act, or used to facilitate narcotics racketeering; and (B) any interest in, security of, claim against, or property or contractual right of any kind affording a source of influence over, any enterprise which he has established, operated, controlled, conducted, or participated in the conduct of, in violation of this Act or Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act, that the court determines, after a forfeiture hearing, under subsection (b) of this Section to have been acquired or maintained as a result of narcotics racketeering or violating Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act or used to facilitate narcotics racketeering.

(b) The court shall, upon petition by the Attorney General or State's Attorney, at any time subsequent to the filing of an information or return of an indictment, conduct a hearing to determine whether any property or property interest is subject to forfeiture under this Act. At the forfeiture hearing the people shall have the burden of establishing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that property or property interests are subject to forfeiture under this Act. There is a rebuttable presumption at such hearing that any property or property interest of a person charged by information or indictment with narcotics racketeering or who is convicted of a violation of Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act is subject to forfeiture under this Section if the State establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that:

(1) such property or property interest was acquired by such person during the period of the violation of this Act or Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act or within a reasonable time after such period; and

(2) there was no likely source for such property or property interest other than the violation of this Act or Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act.

(c) In an action brought by the People of the State of Illinois under this Act, wherein any restraining order, injunction or prohibition or any other action in connection with any property or property interest subject to forfeiture under this Act is sought, the circuit court which shall preside over the trial of the person or persons charged with narcotics racketeering as defined in Section 4 of this Act or violating Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act shall first determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the person or persons so charged has committed the offense of narcotics racketeering as defined in Section 4 of this Act or a violation of Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act and whether the property or property interest is subject to forfeiture pursuant to this Act.

In order to make such a determination, prior to entering any such order, the court shall conduct a hearing without a jury, wherein the People shall establish that there is: (i) probable cause that the person or persons so charged have committed the offense of narcotics racketeering or violating Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act and (ii) probable cause that any property or property interest may be subject to forfeiture pursuant to this Act. Such hearing may be conducted simultaneously with a preliminary hearing, if the prosecution is commenced by information or complaint, or by motion of the People, at any stage in the proceedings. The court may accept a finding of probable cause at a preliminary hearing following the filing of an information charging the offense of narcotics racketeering as defined in Section 4 of this Act or the return of an indictment by a grand jury charging the offense of narcotics racketeering as defined in Section 4 of this Act or after a charge is filed for violating Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act as sufficient evidence of probable cause as provided in item (i) above.

Upon such a finding, the circuit court shall enter such restraining order, injunction or prohibition, or shall take such other action in connection with any such property or property interest subject to forfeiture under this Act, as is necessary to insure that such property is not removed from the jurisdiction of the court, concealed, destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the owner of that property or property interest prior to a forfeiture hearing under subsection (b) of this Section. The Attorney General or State's Attorney shall file a certified copy of such restraining order, injunction or other prohibition with the recorder of deeds or registrar of titles of each county where any such property of the defendant may be located. No such injunction, restraining order or other prohibition shall affect the rights of any bona fide purchaser, mortgagee, judgment creditor or other lien holder arising prior to the date of such filing.

The court may, at any time, upon verified petition by the defendant, conduct a hearing to release all or portions of any such property or interest which the court previously determined to be subject to forfeiture or subject to any restraining order, injunction, or prohibition or other action. The court may release such property to the defendant for good cause shown and within the sound discretion of the court.

(d) Prosecution under this Act may be commenced by the Attorney General or a State's Attorney.

(e) Upon an order of forfeiture being entered pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section, the court shall authorize the Attorney General to seize any property or property interest declared forfeited under this Act and under such terms and conditions as the court shall deem proper. Any property or property interest that has been the subject of an entered restraining order, injunction or prohibition or any other action filed under subsection (c) shall be forfeited unless the claimant can show by a preponderance of the evidence that the property or property interest has not been acquired or maintained as a result of narcotics racketeering or has not been used to facilitate narcotics racketeering.

(f) The Attorney General or his designee is authorized to sell all property forfeited and seized pursuant to this Act, unless such property is required by law to be destroyed or is harmful to the public, and, after the deduction of all requisite expenses of administration and sale, shall distribute the proceeds of such sale, along with any moneys forfeited or seized, in accordance with subsection (g) or (h), whichever is applicable.

(g) All monies and the sale proceeds of all other property forfeited and seized pursuant to this Act shall be distributed as follows:

(1) An amount equal to 50% shall be distributed to the unit of local government whose officers or employees conducted the investigation into narcotics racketeering and caused the arrest or arrests and prosecution leading to the forfeiture. Amounts distributed to units of local government shall be used for enforcement of laws governing narcotics activity or for public education in the community or schools in the prevention or detection of the abuse of drugs or alcohol. In the event, however, that the investigation, arrest or arrests and prosecution leading to the forfeiture were undertaken solely by a State agency, the portion provided hereunder shall be paid into the Drug Traffic Prevention Fund in the State treasury to be used for enforcement of laws governing narcotics activity.

(2) An amount equal to 12.5% shall be distributed to the county in which the prosecution resulting in the forfeiture was instituted, deposited in a special fund in the county treasury and appropriated to the State's Attorney for use in the enforcement of laws governing narcotics activity or for public education in the community or schools in the prevention or detection of the abuse of drugs or alcohol.

An amount equal to 12.5% shall be distributed to the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor and deposited in the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Fund, which is hereby created in the State treasury, to be used by the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor for additional expenses incurred in prosecuting appeals arising under this Act. Any amounts remaining in the Fund after all additional expenses have been paid shall be used by the Office to reduce the participating county contributions to the Office on a pro-rated basis as determined by the board of governors of the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor based on the populations of the participating counties.

(3) An amount equal to 25% shall be paid into the Drug Traffic Prevention Fund in the State treasury to be used by the Illinois State Police for funding Metropolitan Enforcement Groups created pursuant to the Intergovernmental Drug Laws Enforcement Act. Any amounts remaining in the Fund after full funding of Metropolitan Enforcement Groups shall be used for enforcement, by the State or any unit of local government, of laws governing narcotics activity or for public education in the community or schools in the prevention or detection of the abuse of drugs or alcohol.

(h) Where the investigation or indictment for the offense of narcotics racketeering or a violation of Section 3 of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act has occurred under the provisions of the Statewide Grand Jury Act, all monies and the sale proceeds of all other property shall be distributed as follows:

(1) 60% shall be distributed to the metropolitan enforcement group, local, municipal, county, or State law enforcement agency or agencies which conducted or participated in the investigation resulting in the forfeiture. The distribution shall bear a reasonable relationship to the degree of direct participation of the law enforcement agency in the effort resulting in the forfeiture, taking into account the total value of the property forfeited and the total law enforcement effort with respect to the violation of the law on which the forfeiture is based. Amounts distributed to the agency or agencies shall be used for the enforcement of laws governing cannabis and controlled substances or for public education in the community or schools in the prevention or detection of the abuse of drugs or alcohol.

(2) 25% shall be distributed by the Attorney General as grants to drug education, treatment and prevention programs licensed or approved by the Department of Human Services. In making these grants, the Attorney General shall take into account the plans and service priorities of, and the needs identified by, the Department of Human Services.

(3) 15% shall be distributed to the Attorney General and the State's Attorney, if any, participating in the prosecution resulting in the forfeiture. The distribution shall bear a reasonable relationship to the degree of direct participation in the prosecution of the offense, taking into account the total value of the property forfeited and the total amount of time spent in preparing and presenting the case, the complexity of the case and other similar factors. Amounts distributed to the Attorney General under this paragraph shall be retained in a fund held by the State Treasurer as ex-officio custodian to be designated as the Statewide Grand Jury Prosecution Fund and paid out upon the direction of the Attorney General for expenses incurred in criminal prosecutions arising under the Statewide Grand Jury Act. Amounts distributed to a State's Attorney shall be deposited in a special fund in the county treasury and appropriated to the State's Attorney for use in the enforcement of laws governing narcotics activity or for public education in the community or schools in the prevention or detection of the abuse of drugs or alcohol.

(i) All monies deposited pursuant to this Act in the Drug Traffic Prevention Fund established under Section 5-9-1.2 of the Unified Code of Corrections are appropriated, on a continuing basis, to the Illinois State Police to be used for funding Metropolitan Enforcement Groups created pursuant to the Intergovernmental Drug Laws Enforcement Act or otherwise for the enforcement of laws governing narcotics activity or for public education in the community or schools in the prevention or detection of the abuse of drugs or alcohol.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)