A late-night traffic stop in the south suburbs landed a Chicago Heights man in Cook County Jail after deputies say they found a loaded handgun inside the car he was driving. Prosecutors have now hit the driver with a repeat-felon firearms charge that carries much tougher penalties than a standard weapons case.
According to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a gray Chevrolet Malibu around 9:50 p.m. on May 15 after it ran a red light near Joe Orr Road and Stoney Island Avenue in unincorporated Bloom Township. During the stop, deputies reported finding a loaded gun inside the vehicle.
Deputies identified the driver as 34-year-old Ryan Mitchell and said he had a no-bond warrant out of La Salle County for driving with a suspended license. He was taken into custody at the scene. On May 16, prosecutors charged Mitchell with unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, and a judge ordered him held in Cook County Jail, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
What the charge means
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, the offense prosecutors have charged here, is codified in Illinois as 720 ILCS 5/24-1.7 and is a Class X felony under state law, carrying far stiffer penalties than ordinary weapons offenses. The statute targets people with two or more qualifying prior convictions and was retitled from the "armed habitual criminal" charge in recent legislative updates, according to the Illinois General Assembly.
Illinois law also requires a Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card to possess firearms, and the Illinois State Police oversees FOID and concealed-carry licensing, per the Illinois State Police.
Mitchell remains in Cook County Jail custody while the case moves through the court system, and a next court date had not been posted publicly as of the latest reports. The Cook County Sheriff's Office released the basic details to local media and declined further comment.
