Fugitive arrested outside Chicago
A man accused of helping manufacture and traffic large quantities of marijuana in northeastern Oklahoma was arrested in Illinois this week after authorities connected him to a suburban Chicago community, officials said. Mihailo Bozovic, 45, had been placed on Oklahoma’s 10 Most Wanted list Sunday and was taken into custody Tuesday following a traffic stop in Countryside, Illinois.
The arrest followed work by an agent with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office, who developed information indicating that Bozovic might be living in Countryside. The agent then worked with the Countryside Police Department to locate him. The operation illustrates how a case originating in Oklahoma can depend on cooperation with law enforcement in another state when a person wanted on felony allegations is believed to have left the area.
Authorities did not provide additional details about the traffic stop or say where Bozovic had been living in Countryside. The source information also does not identify whether he contested the arrest. Officials said he will be returned to Oklahoma, where he is expected to face the Ottawa County charges.
Charges tied to alleged marijuana operation
Bozovic faces several allegations in Ottawa County, including the manufacture of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of material with intent to manufacture, unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute and trafficking in illegal drugs. The allegations concern activity that authorities say occurred in June and July 2024.
Investigators also accuse Bozovic of manufacturing, possessing and trafficking 25 pounds or more of marijuana. That quantity is central to the public description of the case, although the source does not provide a further breakdown of the alleged operation, the location of any seizure or the identities of other people who may have been investigated.
| Case detail | Information released |
|---|---|
| Suspect | Mihailo Bozovic, 45 |
| Oklahoma county | Ottawa County |
| Alleged conduct | Manufacturing, possession and trafficking of marijuana |
| Alleged amount | 25 pounds or more |
| Arrest location | Countryside, Illinois |
The allegations remain unproven unless established in court. The charges describe what prosecutors would need to pursue against Bozovic after his return to Oklahoma, while the arrest itself marks the beginning of the next phase of the case rather than a finding of guilt.
Interstate cooperation highlighted
Drummond credited the Oklahoma agent and Illinois officers for moving quickly once Bozovic’s possible location was identified.
“This arrest shows what happens when law enforcement agencies work together across state lines,” Drummond said.
He said the suspect would be brought back to Oklahoma to respond to the charges. The announcement did not specify when that transfer would occur, what court would handle the case or whether a hearing had been scheduled. Those details can affect how quickly an out-of-state arrest turns into an Oklahoma court proceeding.
The case underscores a practical challenge for local agencies: A defendant sought in an Oklahoma investigation may no longer be in the state when officers are ready to make an arrest. In this instance, information developed by the attorney general’s office was paired with local police work in Illinois. Countryside officers ultimately made the arrest after stopping the vehicle in which Bozovic was traveling.
18th arrest from Oklahoma list
Bozovic’s capture is also notable because it is the 18th fugitive arrested from Oklahoma’s 10 Most Wanted list since the program began in 2024. The list is maintained as a tool for publicizing wanted suspects and generating information that can help investigators locate them. His addition came Sunday, followed by the arrest two days later.
The source material does not identify how long Bozovic had been under investigation before his name was added, whether tips from the public contributed to his location or how many people currently remain on the list. It does show the value officials place on distributing information beyond Oklahoma’s borders when a suspect is believed to have moved elsewhere.
- Bozovic was added to the most wanted list Sunday.
- Illinois police arrested him Tuesday after a traffic stop.
- He is accused in an Ottawa County case involving 25 pounds or more of marijuana.
- Officials say he will be returned to Oklahoma to answer the allegations.
For Ottawa County, the arrest brings a suspect in a 2024 drug case back within the reach of Oklahoma prosecutors. For authorities, it provides another example of a wanted-person investigation moving across state lines and ending with a local police department assisting an Oklahoma agency. The next significant developments will be Bozovic’s return, the filing or advancement of the Oklahoma case and the court’s handling of the allegations.
