Coffee Shop Owner Faces Charges After Sales to Undercover Officer

The owner of a suburban coffee shop is charged with selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer three separate times, according to DuPage County authorities. Peter Thomas, 35, of Villa Park, faces three counts of delivery of methamphetamine, along with counts of possession with intent to deliver, resisting a police officer and unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver.

The investigation began in August. An undercover officer contacted Thomas on Aug. 31 and arranged to buy methamphetamine the next day, prosecutors said. On Sept. 1, the officer met Thomas at a business in the 100 block of West First Street in Elmhurst and bought about 4.26 grams for $40. Thomas owns Pilot Pete's Coffee and Treats, which sits inside the Elmhurst Metra Station on that same block; prosecutors did not say the purchase happened at the shop.

Two later sales were made at Thomas' residence, according to the State's Attorney's Office. The officer bought roughly 3.27 grams on Sept. 30 and 7.33 grams on Oct. 28. After the October transaction, Thomas drove to the Elmhurst business and was taken into custody as he stepped out of his vehicle. Officers found a bag with about 29.48 grams of methamphetamine in his pants pocket during the arrest.

Elmhurst police worked with the Chicago Police Department to identify Thomas as an alleged source of methamphetamine sales in DuPage County, the State's Attorney's Office said. Thomas appeared in court Friday morning, where a judge declined prosecutors' request to detain him before trial.

He was released with conditions that bar him from alcohol, cannabis and controlled substances unless prescribed, and require him to submit to testing. Pilot Pete's Coffee and Treats was listed as temporarily closed on Google on Friday.