La Salle man stands trial July 8 for gun, drugs police say they found in traffic stop

A La Salle man potentially facing decades in prison for gun and drug felony charges will stand trial July 8.

Nathan C. Price, 43, appeared Friday on his pending felony case in La Salle County Circuit Court. He is charged with six felonies led by one count of armed violence and being an armed habitual criminal, both Class X felonies.

Price entered a not-guilty plea and demanded a trial. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. scheduled a final pretrial conference July 5 and a June 28 hearing on pretrial motions.

He will next appear in court in April for a detention hearing. He remains held in the La Salle County Jail but has reserved his right to argue for pretrial release.

Price was charged Jan. 30 after Streator police conducted a traffic stop in the 1600 block of North Bloomington Street. There, a K-9 unit alerted law enforcement to the presence of narcotics and, following a search, Price is alleged to have been found in possession of both powder and rock cocaine, police said in a news release.

From another pocket, police seized a Crown Royal bag containing a .22-caliber pistol, prosecutors said. The tandem possession of the firearm and purported narcotics, coupled with his criminal history, made him eligible for the armed violence and armed habitual criminal counts.

Price’s sentencing range is lengthy but so far uncertain. Three of his charges are nonprobational Class X felonies, but some counts carry elevated sentencing ranges and/or are subject to back-to-back prison terms.