Three men who were busted with an array of machine guns and narcotics at a Naperville recreation facility have been denied bail, officials said. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres jointly announced the court's decision to keep the trio locked up until their trial.
In a press release, State’s Attorney Berlin detailed that the suspects were caught with "extremely dangerous, fully loaded weapons, two of which that are capable of firing as a machine gun." This crackdown unfolded at the family-centric Bowlero after Naperville officers witnessed suspicious activity and conducted a successful surveillance operation on December 2.
The case involves Demarveus Butler, 19, Terrance Reed, 27, and Rubin Tart, 24, who now face multiple felony charges. According to a Naperville official statement, a judge threw out their pre-trial release motion, citing public safety concerns over the gravity of the allegations.
"The quick apprehension of the defendants in this case sends the message that in DuPage County we will not hesitate to remove firearms from those who cannot legally possess them. Thanks to the vigilance of the Naperville Police Department, an arsenal of dangerous weapons has been removed from the streets and quite possibly a tragedy has been averted. I commend the Naperville Police Department for their heads-up work on this case and for their continuing commitment to public safety. I thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Alexandria Levan and Alysa Feld for their work in securing charges against these three defendants." Berlin stated as per the Naperville Official website.
Officers had noticed the three suspects entering a Honda Accord with mismatched temporary registration plates, eventually leading to a short vehicle and foot chase. The search of the automobile turned up machine guns with switches to fire automatically, a stolen handgun, a tactical rifle, and ammunition, along with drugs including cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and MDMA.
The next hearings for Butler and Reed are set for January 2, 2024, and Tart's arraignment is scheduled for January 12, 2024. Meanwhile, all three remain behind bars, awaiting their fate as the community reflects on the potential dangers that were thwarted by vigilant law enforcement.
