Paul Weldin, the general manager of the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, was arrested July 21 for possessing crystal methamphetamine.
According to Lt. Bob Stasch of the city's 23rd Police District, officers found 31 grams of crystal meth ( street value: $10,200 ) in Weldin's apartment on the 2000 block of West Farwell. Stasch also told Windy City Times that almost $11,000 in cash was also discovered there.
Weldin has been charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Police searched Weldin's home based on information from an informant who had been working with the officers. Stasch said Weldin admitted the money came from drug sales.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office informed Windy City Times that Judge Colleen Hyland set Weldin's bond at $100,000 on July 22. (As of July 25, Weldin was still being held in Cook County Jail.) A preliminary hearing is Aug. 10.
At one point Weldin, a certified tour professional, was also president of L&GIT, a company that catered to the lesbian and gay community. In that capacity, he gave presentations on gay and lesbian tourism.
On July 22, the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus issued a press release concerning Weldin. The statement reads as follows:
'We were very surprised to learn of the arrest of Paul Weldin, who is employed by the Chorus as its part-time General Manager. We had no reason to suspect that Mr. Weldin may have been involved in illegal activities of any kind. We will be following the progress of the police investigation.'