Aurora felon held in custody after stolen truck investigation leads to gun, drug seizure

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. - An Aurora man is being held in custody after he allegedly fled from Naperville police in a stolen truck and was later found with several guns and a large amount of cocaine.

What we know:

Prosecutors said 46-year-old Dionte Neustadter, a convicted felon, appeared in court last week when a judge denied him pre-trial release.

Dionte Neustadter

Neustadter is charged with manufacturing or delivering between 400 and 900 grams of cocaine, aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of a machine gun, eight counts of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, and misdemeanor fleeing and eluding.

The backstory:

In early January, Naperville police were told to be on the lookout for a 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor with Tennessee plates that was possibly stolen and had been seen several times in the west suburb.

On Jan. 15, officers spotted the white Ford at a gas station on North Aurora Road. After the truck left and headed north on Raymond Drive, officers tried to pull it over after the driver allegedly committed a traffic violation.

Prosecutors said the truck initially stopped, but when an officer approached the passenger side window, the driver sped off and escaped.

Police later identified Neustadter as the driver of the Ford, according to prosecutors.

Then, on Feb. 24, officers arrested Neustadter as he stood outside his vehicle in the 1100 block of East Ogden Avenue in Naperville. He allegedly had about 21 grams of cocaine on him at the time.

After serving a search warrant at his home, police reported finding:

• A stolen key fob for the Ford Raptor
• A .22-caliber pistol modified with an automatic switch that had been reported stolen out of Country Club Hills
• A loaded Glock 17 pistol
• A loaded Springfield Hellcat pistol
• A loaded Smith & Wesson Shield pistol
• A loaded, shortened AR-15 rifle ghost gun
• A loaded Kimber Ultra Carry pistol that had been reported stolen out of Whiteside County
• A loaded Taurus handgun with defaced serial numbers
• A loaded Springfield XD pistol
• $47,120 in cash
• Roughly 753 grams of cocaine

Prosecutors said as a convicted felon, Neustadter is not legally allowed to have firearms.

What they're saying:

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin called the arrest a testament to the "professional, vigilant work" of Naperville police.

"After receiving information regarding a possibly stolen Ford F150 Raptor, officers kept an eye out and one week later located the vehicle. This heads-up work not only led to the recovery of the allegedly stolen vehicle, but also resulted in the removal of multiple illegally owned firearms, including a machine gun, and nearly 775 grams of cocaine from our streets," Berlin said in a statement.

What's next:

Neustadter is due back in court on March 23.