A licensed physician set to begin working at a Chicago hospital later this month was arrested Sunday at his downtown condominium on charges he had more than $5,000 worth of methamphetamine and two unlicensed handguns, police said.
At about 3 p.m. Sunday, Chicago police officers working on a confidential tip executed a search warrant at the home of Dr. Helmut Ahlert, 37, police Lt. Robert Stasch said.
Inside Ahlert’s condominium, officers found 16 grams of methamphetamine, which has a street value of about $5,300, Stasch said. Officers also discovered a .357-caliber handgun, a .380-caliber handgun and ammunition.
Neither of the guns was registered, and Ahlert does not possess the required firearm owner’s identification card, Stasch said.
Ahlert was charged Sunday with one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of failure to have a firearm owner’s identification card and two counts of failure to secure gun registration, Stasch said.
Stasch said the trafficking of methamphetamine has become a growing problem in Lakeview.
Ahlert, who is licensed to practice anesthesiology in Illinois, worked at Goshen Hospital in Indiana until September, police say.
Ahlert told officers he was scheduled to begin working at a Chicago hospital later this month, Stasch said.
Ahlert’s intentions for the meth are still under investigation.
“This amount of methamphetamine wouldn’t really be for personal use,” he said.
