A North Chicago man is charged after authorities said he was illegally selling firearms, including unserialized ‘ghost guns.’
Eric Raines-Sylvestre, 20, of the 2000 block of Sherman Avenue in North Chicago, was indicted by a statewide Grand Jury on charges of Gunrunning, a Class 1 felony, and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Class 2 felonies, said Lake County Sheriff Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
In addition, Raines-Sylvestre is facing ten counts of Unlawful Sale of a Firearm and nine counts of Unlawful Sale of an Unserialized Firearm. Those charges are Class 4 felonies, Covelli said.
Covelli said in a news release Thursday that the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)-funded task force, with the close assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Chicago Field Division, received a tip that Raines-Sylvestre was illegally selling firearms, some being manufactured with a 3D printer, known as unserialized ‘ghost guns.’
During the several-month-long investigation, undercover SIG detectives purchased ten firearms from Raines-Sylvestre and 26 machine gun conversion kits, Covelli said.
The conversion kits turn a semiautomatic firearm into a full-automatic firearm, Covelli said.
Some of the firearms sold by Raines-Sylvestre were stolen firearms from Lake County and Cook County, Covelli said.
The facts of the case were presented to a Statewide Grand Jury by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office on May 9, Covelli said.
The Grand Jury returned a direct indictment warrant for Raines-Sylvestre, Covelli said.
Raines-Sylvestre was arrested without incident on May 19 after detectives conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle.
“This case is a powerful example of what’s possible when agencies come together with a shared mission of keeping our communities safe,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “These are ten firearms and dozens of potentially converted machine guns that we’ve been able to take off the streets and out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
Idleburg added, “The ATF – Chicago Field Division brought unmatched expertise and tireless dedication to this investigation, and we’re incredibly proud of our close partnership with them and HIDTA. Together, we’ve disrupted a dangerous operation and held an illegal firearms dealer accountable.”
Raines-Sylvestre remains held in the Lake County Jail and is due back in court Tuesday, May 27.
“Individuals who illegally possess and traffic machinegun conversion devices pose a grave threat to law enforcement and the communities they protect,” Chicago Field Division Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon said. “Our partnerships and investigations remain steadfast on identifying those individuals, their co-conspirators and sources and holding them accountable for their actions.”