A convicted felon, who is on parole and is a registered Violent Offender Against Youth, is being held on a $500,000 bond after police found him with a stolen gun and drugs in Lake County.
William B. Lewis, 29, of Naperville, was charged with felon in possession of a weapon, possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, speeding 26-34 mph over limit and unlawful possession of cannabis by driver.
An officer on patrol on Monday on Interstate 94 in Lake County clocked Lewis’ vehicle traveling 105 mph in a 65 mph zone and into a 45 mph construction zone, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Francis DeRosa.
The officer conducted a traffic stop and could smell fresh cannabis coming from the vehicle, which Lewis acknowledged.
Lewis motioned to the center console and said the cannabis was in it, DeRosa said during a Tuesday bond hearing.
The officer found a package of cannabis and a glass jar of cannabis behind the driver’s seat.
A book bag was found and had a safe inside of it. The officer shook the safe and heard a large metallic object inside, DeRosa said.
The keys to the safe did not work and a canine was called to the scene. The dog gave a positive alert on the safe.
DeRosa said the officers used a crowbar and a sledgehammer to open the safe, which had a gun and more cannabis inside.
The gun, a Springfield Armory XD 45 handgun, was determined to have been stolen out of Alabama.
The handgun had a fully loaded magazine and a laser sight, DeRosa said.
State records show Lewis is a convicted felon. He was convicted of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in 2010 for a St Clair County case and sentenced to two years in prison.
Lewis was then convicted in 2012 of armed home invasion in DuPage County and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was paroled in December 2020.
State records also show Lewis is registered in the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth database for the home invasion case, in which the victim was a child.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Lewis held on a $500,000 bond after noting Lewis’ criminal history.
Lewis remains held and would need to post $50,000 cash in order to be released from the Lake County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 10.