By Ron Kremer



An undercover investigation led police from Naperville to Bolingbrook and ultimately to a big drug bust on Wednesday afternoon. Nickolas J. Gelardi, 18, 1457 Lily Cache, Bolingbrook; Awais M. Khan, 26, 1921 Rancho Lane, Des Plaines; and Danial M. Waseem, 24, 816 Pueblo, Naperville, were apprehended after undercover agents with the Naperville Police Department followed them from Waseem's residence in Naperville to Gelardi's house in Bolingbrook, according to Naperville Sgt. Lou Cammiso.

The arrests came after postal deliveries of cannabis were made to Gelardi's residence in Bolngbrook and to Waseem's home in Naperville, Cammiso said, and officers observed a drug trafficking transaction. He said members of Naperville's special operations group were working in tandem with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

According to Will County Sheriff's office records, Gelardi is facing a charge of manufacturing/delivery of cannabis in excess of 5,000 grams—a felony. Waseem and Khan are facing charges of manufacturing/delivery of cannabis in excess of 5,000 grams and cannabis trafficking in excess of 5,000 grams—each one a felony count. "Two of the suspects left Naperville with the package delivered there (Waseem and Khan) and went to the Lily Cache address (Gelardi's home in Bolingbrook)," Cammiso said. "It was at that time they were apprehended. We had officers following them. That's what they do. They're sneaky."

Cammiso said the incident began to unfold at about 2:20 p.m. Wednesday. By the time it was all said and done, he said officers recovered additional amounts of cannabis, cash and related evidence from Gelardi's home and Waseem's car.

Law enforcement personnel seized the following items: