State Police Secure Seizure of Large Amount of Cash in Transit

Illinois State Police (ISP) today commended the good work of District 11 troopers and pointed to ISP’s largest cash seizure in years.

On Saturday about 3:30 p.m. a District 11 Trooper patrolling I-55, southbound near Collinsville, stopped a 2004 white Volvo convertible for improper lane usage with an illegal license plate cover. Conversation with the driver led the Trooper to believe there was criminal activity. The Trooper asked for, and was granted, consent to look further inside the vehicle. Upon further investigation, the Trooper located 27 vacuum-sealed plastic bags containing $1,589,860 in U.S. currency.

“Cash amounts this large are usually connected to illegal drug trafficking,” said District 11
Commander, Captain Brad Parsons. “Drugs destroy lives and rip families apart, but when our officers apply training and solid police work, they are able to hinder the ability of these criminal enterprises from harming more people,” he added.

Arrested for money laundering was Carole Irene Galvez, 62, from Gila Bend, Arizona. Galvez is currently being held at the Madison County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

The Illinois State Police and the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois (MEGSI) collaborated on this investigation. They worked closely with the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office to secure charges.