UNEXPECTED: Counterfeit Bill Call Leads Cops To Handgun In Bar; Shotgun, Assault Rifle Also Found

Actual assault rifle reportedly varies.

UPDATE: Further details and the arrested man’s identity are available in THIS follow-up report.

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The baby New Year came packin’.

A normally sleepy corner tavern in nearby Lakeview got far more than it expected when a man tried to pass counterfeit money on New Year’s Day.

Will’s Northwoods Inn, home of a certain CWB editor’s favorite half-pound cheeseburger, was “packed” with customers according to an officer who arrived to handle the bogus bill incident yesterday afternoon.

Then, things got really interesting.

The phony bill passer, who was in the company of three other men, possessed two more things of interest: pot and a handgun. Inside the bar.

A reliable email correspondence to CWB this evening reports that the handgun’s serial number had been defaced.

A large police response was launched and the little Inn at 3030 N. Racine filled with a sea of blue shirts.

The increasingly serious situation climaxed during a search of the four men’s vehicle, where officers found a shotgun and an assault rifle, according to a witness’ email to CWB.

CWB has not been able to verify the particulars of the weapons found, however, we can confirm that the initial call quickly evolved into a firearms recovery and a large police response. Our emailer was able to provide the Chicago Police Department case number for the incident: HX100691.

UPDATE 1/2/2014 7:43PM: DNAInfo.com picks up the story. DNAInfo reports that 19th district police Commander Elias Voulgaris confirmed the handgun, shotgun, and “a rifle” were recovered along with marijuana and cocaine. The arrestee is a convicted felon and will face felony charges for Wednesday’s events, according to DNAInfo.com.

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com