LYONS TOWNSHIP, IL -- An Uber driver claimed that 19 kilos of cocaine found in his car during a tollway traffic stop do not belong to him, prosecutors said. Carlos Meza Gonzalez, 34, appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice on a Class X felony charge of manufacture and delivery of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance. The judge said he considered the large quantity of cocaine "a danger to the community."

According to the charges, Illinois State Police noticed stopped Meza Gonzalez for speeding around around 5:52 p.m. Sept. 12, in the southbound lane of I-294 in Lyons Township. The state trooper found 12 bundles in a brown box with the letter "C" stamped on it, along with more bundles in a plastic bag, the prosecutor said. Meza Gonzalez is alleged to have told police that someone he didn't known must have placed the contraband in his car. In total, the prosecutor said police found 19.1 kilos in the vehicle. "Did the 'C' stand for cocaine," Judge Felice asked. "How much is that in pounds?"

"About 47 to 48 pounds," the prosecutor said, adding that the street value of the drugs was $876,000. The assistant public defender told the judge that Meza Gonzalez works full time as an Uber driver. He has no prior criminal background. If convicted of the Class X felony charge, Meza Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum or six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

"Do you realize the impact this would have if this amount of cocaine had gotten to the wrong people, and it surely would have gone to the wrong people, not to saying he's guilty," Judge Felice said. Bail was set at $750,000. The judge wanted a source of funds should Meza Gonzalez bond out. He also ordered Meza Gonzalez to wear a GPS tracking device if he is released from jail. Meza Gonzalez is due back in court Oct.9 in Bridgeview.