Naperville police charge 2 men in separate gun-related incidents involving machine gun and firearm – Chicago Tribune

Two men will be held in the DuPage County Jail on unrelated firearms charges related to arrests made by the Naperville Police Department, one involving a machine gun and the other involving an unloaded weapon.

In the first case, a police officer stopped a car after it exited a Wendy's parking lot in close proximity to the officer's vehicle around 8:10 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the police department and the District Attorney's Office. the State of DuPage County. .

While speaking to the driver about his vehicle's expired license plate, the officer “heard what sounded like the sliding of a handgun rack from inside the vehicle,” prompting to request assistance from alternate officers, according to the report.

The officer then spoke to Tony Thompson, 19, of the 400 block of Hillside Road, Joliet, who was sitting in the passenger seat and asked him to get out when other officers arrived. While searching the vehicle, officers found a Glock 17 9mm firearm with a switch capable of making it fully automatic under Thompson's seat, according to the report.

Thompson was charged with one count of possession of a machine gun, a class X felony; one count of Possession of a Firearm – No FOID, a Class 3 Felony; and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a class 4 felony.

The second incident occurred around 8:05 p.m. Thursday when officers driving behind Naperville resident Trensae Ware, 24, of the 1500 block of West Jefferson Avenue, initially observed him not wearing a seat belt, then heard what sounded like a gunshot, after which they saw “The vehicle swerved slightly and shook,” the report states.

After stopping the car, officers found a cannabis shake on the gear shift and an open bottle of tequila in the pocket behind the passenger seat, authorities said.

When all four occupants exited, a spent shell casing was found in the driver's seat, a loaded .45 caliber firearm under the front passenger seat, and a bullet hole near where the driver's left foot was allegedly seated, according to the report.

Authorities said the bullets in the gun matched the spent shell casing recovered from the driver's seat and a bullet recovered from where it had lodged in the car.

All four occupants were tested for gunshot residue, but it was only found on Ware's hands, according to the report. A 9mm handgun was found in the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle but did not match the discharged shell casing.

Ware was charged with one count each of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, a class 3 felony, and reckless discharge of a firearm, a class 4 felony.

State's Attorney Robert Berlin praised Naperville police in a statement on the two arrests.

“Their commitment to public safety is second to none,” he said. “Once again, their efforts have helped take dangerous weapons away from those who are not legally allowed to possess them. »

Both suspects are scheduled to appear for their arraignment hearing on July 1.