A Chicago man is being held in Cook County Jail after Sheriff’s Police investigators said they recovered a fully automatic weapon, dozens of additional guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition while executing a firearm restraining order at his home.
John Williams, 50, was arrested July 3 in the 4200 block of North Leavitt Street on charges of aggravated battery in a public place and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to court and Chicago Police records. Prosecutors did not seek his detention at that time, and Judge Ankur Srivastava released him with orders to surrender his Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and refrain from possessing firearms while his case was pending, court records show.
Three days later, on July 6, a woman filed for a firearm restraining order against Williams in domestic violence court, according to records. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said its Gun Investigation Team executed the order on July 9 in the 4200 block of North Leavitt Street.
During the search, investigators recovered 20 guns, 62 magazines, and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition, according to the sheriff’s office. One of the firearms had been fitted with a switch that made it fully automatic, legally qualifying as a machine gun, officials said.
Williams, whose FOID card and concealed carry license had both been revoked, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun, according to the sheriff’s office. Once again, Williams appeared before Judge Srivastava at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue, where the judge ordered him detained pending trial.
Original reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click here to support our work.
