Deputies say a routine traffic stop in River North turned into a felony gun case after officers found a loaded handgun on the driver and suspected cannabis in his SUV.
According to officials, members of the Sheriff's Police Community Safety Team pulled over a maroon Chevrolet Equinox around 6:50 p.m. on July 1 in the 400 block of North City Front Plaza Drive. During the stop, officers recovered a firearm and, they say, also found suspected cannabis in the vehicle. The driver was cited for traffic violations and for operating an uninsured vehicle.
What deputies say they found
In a post from the Cook County Sheriff's Office on X, deputies identified the driver as Devin Maynor and said they discovered a loaded handgun tucked in his waistband during the stop. The agency added that suspected cannabis was recovered from the vehicle and that Maynor was cited for disregarding a traffic-control device and for driving without insurance. The post also noted that while he had a concealed-carry license, officials considered it invalid because his Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card had been revoked.
Prosecutors approve a felony charge
According to the sheriff's post, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office signed off on an aggravated unlawful-possession charge against Maynor, which can be prosecuted as a felony under Illinois law. The agency included a familiar legal reminder in its announcement: "Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty." Court-date and bail information were not immediately released.
What the charge means under Illinois law
Under Illinois law, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon is described in the statute published by the Illinois General Assembly and is frequently charged as a Class 4 felony for a first offense, with tougher penalties when certain aggravating factors are involved. The law lists several circumstances that can bump a case up to a felony, including having a firearm without a valid FOID card or possessing a gun while committing a misdemeanor cannabis offense. The Illinois State Police Firearm Services Bureau states that once a FOID card is revoked, the cardholder must either surrender it or complete a firearm disposition record, and that failure to follow those rules can trigger additional enforcement; the ISP firearm portal outlines those requirements for cardholders.
Part of a wider enforcement push
The July 1 stop comes as the sheriff's Community Safety Team and other specialized units have ramped up targeted patrols in Chicago. The sheriff's website describes the team as part of the Field Operations Division, with a focus on proactive enforcement across the county.
Axios recently reported that sheriff's personnel working transit details and other targeted patrols have made hundreds of arrests and taken multiple weapons off the streets since the spring. Local coverage has also pointed to a string of recent traffic stops that turned up loaded or unserialized guns, including a recent Robbins ghost gun bust.
For now, the Cook County Sheriff's Office post remains the main public description of what happened during the July 1 River North stop. With prosecutors having approved the aggravated unlawful-possession charge, the case is expected to move through the Cook County court system. Officials said they would release additional details, including arraignment or booking information, as they become available.
