Father-Son Duo Appear In Court On Oak Lawn Pot Manufacturing Charges

OAK LAWN, IL — A father-and-son duo was taken into custody when police executing a search warrant recovered 17 pounds of marijuana and $4,000 cash during an early morning raid on their home, Oak Lawn police said.

Sami Hirmiz, 19, appeared Thursday before Cook County Judge Linzey Jones on felony charges of manufacture and delivery of cannabis, felony possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.

His father, 61-year-old Faozi Hirmiz, is charged with felony manufacture and delivery of cannabis, possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia, and two misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest. The older Hirmiz had already been released from police custody.

Around 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oak Lawn tactical detectives moved in on a home in the 8800 block of South Austin, where they executed a search warrant assisted by Oak Lawn special response team officers.

Sami Hirmiz, who was on electronic monitoring for two separate pending criminal cases, was found sitting in a van outside his home when police officers arrived.

His father, Faozi, was found inside the house. The prosecutor said as police searched the home, 794 grams of cannabis contained in 20 bags were found inside a crawl space. Also found were scales, a vacuum bag sealer and a cash counter, according to the complaint.

In Sami’s bedroom, the prosecutor said police found more than $3,000 cash, and $2,850 cash was found in his father’s bedroom.

A Taurus handgun was discovered in a safe, for which Faozi Hirmiz had a valid FOID card. Other guns were alleged to be found in the residence.

A ledger noting Sami’s upcoming court appearances and drug sales was also found near some documents belonging to him, the prosecutor said.

Police also searched a shed in the backyard, where they found equipment used to grow marijuana, the prosecutor said.

Faozi admitted owning the equipment in the shed. Sami did not make admissions, the prosecutor said.

Police said the younger Hirmiz was wearing two ankle bracelets due to cases for aggravated battery to a Chicago Ridge police officer and robbery.

The Hirmiz attorney argued that the search warrant did not have names on it, only items to search for in the home.

“There’s no probable cause,” he said.

Faozi Hirmiz’s attorney told the judge that the older Hirmiz is a licensed grower of medical marijuana in Michigan.

“I don’t see how that plays here,” Judge Jones said.

As for Sami, “he’s just living there,” the Hirmiz attorney said.

“He’s 19, he’s on house arrest. He has no violations. He’s shown up to all his court appearances,” the attorney argued. “There is no compelling evidence that Sami committed a crime.”

Sami Hirmiz has a pending 2023 case for aggravated battery to a Chicago Ridge police officer, when he allegedly struck the officer with an open car door fleeing a traffic stop. He then led police on a high speed chase into Indiana, according to the charges.

Several months later in December 2023, Hirmiz was charged with robbery when he and two other men were accused of punching and robbing a LifeTime Fitness member in Orland Park.

The younger Hirmiz was sentenced to six months supervision for reckless driving when he allegedly drove a car into a hookah lounge in Chicago Ridge last November.

“He is released with conditions. Most compelling is the record of sales book,” the judge said. “The court is not inclined to give [Sami] additional electronic monitoring.”

Sami was detained for violating his pretrial release for his other cases, where he is scheduled to go before the judge in his pending cases on June 5.

“[The judge] can sanction Sami if he wishes,” Judge Jones said.

The father and son are due back in court for their new case July 15 at the Bridgeview Courthouse.