In a significant crackdown on gun trafficking, a Lake County man has been handed a seven-year prison sentence for his involvement in illegal firearm sales. Agustin Prado, 30, from Waukegan, faced the music after pleading guilty to one Class 1 felony count of gunrunning. The sentencing took place under the gavel of Lake County Circuit Court Judge Mark L. Levitt, as reported by the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
Prado's co-defendant, Cesar Morales, 30, also from Waukegan, wasn't left out of the judicial reach, previously receiving a 12-year sentence after his guilty plea to a Class X felony count of gunrunning. Attorney General Kwame Raoul emphasized the gravity of the situation: "Individuals who engage in gun trafficking make it possible for firearms to end up in the hands of those who are not legally able to possess them," adding that such crimes increase violent crime and destabilize communities.
The convictions stem from an operation that saw Morales and Prado selling six firearms and an ounce of cocaine across Lake and Cook counties. An investigation further revealed that Morales had sold 10 additional firearms, of which five were noted as stolen, between June and August of 2023. The meticulous work by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF, alongside the Illinois Attorney General’s Statewide Grand Jury Bureau, paved the way for these outcomes.
Backing the efforts, Lake County State's Attorney Eric F. Rinehart lauded the cross-agency collaboration, "Our community is safer because of the outstanding investigation by our law enforcement partners and our ongoing work with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office." Raoul's Grand Jury Bureau, handling multi-county cases of drugs, money laundering, guns, or electronics, worked closely with state and federal partners to bring these offenders to justice, this bureau focuses on tackling large-scale, organized criminal activities.
The sentences delivered to Prado and Morales follow Illinois' efforts to combat gunrunning and associated violence. The cases were prosecuted by Deputy Chief Andrew Whitfield for Raoul’s Statewide Grand Jury Bureau. As the state continues to reform its bail system, Rinehart pointed out the benefit of bail reform in allowing for pretrial detention based on the seriousness of the crime, instead of the offender’s ability to pay cash, sending a clear message that gunrunning offenses will lead to prison time.
