A judge denied pre-trial release for a Waukegan man accused of illegally possessing a loaded ghost gun while he was also in possession of body armor in Waukegan.
Demaryia Booth, 29, of Waukegan, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon with body armor, possession of a firearm with a revoked FOID, two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and display plate attachment violation.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said officers with the Waukegan Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Booth for a traffic violation on September 22.
Officers noticed a handgun sticking out from a satchel on the backseat of the car.
Booth admitted the satchel belonged to him, Katris said.
Officers found a Polymer80 handgun, which is considered a “ghost gun,” inside the satchel, Katris said.
The gun was loaded with a round in the chamber. Extended magazines were also recovered.
Booth also was possessing body armor, the same kind police officers use, at the time of his arrest, Katris said.
Booth does not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card or a concealed carry license.
He previously had his Firearm Owner’s Identification card revoked, Katris said.
Booth was convicted of misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon for an incident in 2017 in Lake County and also had a criminal conviction in an aggravated battery case from when he was a juvenile.
Katris argued Booth should be held pre-trial because he is a danger to the safety of the community.
Attorney James Schwarzbach said his client is a Waukegan High School graduate and has been working as an unarmed security guard.
Schwarzbach argued that the body armor found was used in his security job but said Booth should not have had a gun in his possession. He also said his client is not a gang member.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted prosecutors’ petition to deny pre-trial release to Booth.
Potkonjak said he found no release conditions could mitigate the threat to community safety that Booth poses.
A status of preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning for Booth, who remains held in the Lake County Jail.