Cook County Sheriff’s Police say a July 9 raid on a home in the 4200 block of North Leavitt Street turned up a firearm fitted with a switch that made it fully automatic, along with a sizeable cache of additional weapons. Investigators report seizing 20 guns, 62 magazines and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition, and a 50-year-old man identified as John Williams was taken into custody.
Arrest and charges
According to a post by the Cook County Sheriff's Office, the agency’s Gun Investigation Team carried out a court-ordered firearm restraining order at the Leavitt address on July 9 and found a weapon capable of automatic fire. The post states that the Cook County State's Attorney charged Williams with unlawful possession of a machine gun and that a judge ordered him held after his first appearance at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
What federal law says about machine guns
Federal law defines a “machinegun” broadly to include any weapon that shoots automatically, is designed to do so, or can be readily restored to fire automatically, and possession or transfer of such weapons is generally unlawful without proper registration, according to the ATF. That definition also covers parts and conversion devices that can turn a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic one, so simply having those components can carry felony risk even if a completed automatic weapon is not present.
Firearm restraining orders in Illinois
Illinois law allows judges to issue firearm restraining orders, often called “red flag” orders, that can require a temporary surrender of weapons while a petition is pending. Implementation language from the Illinois General Assembly sets out how law enforcement agencies are supposed to take custody of firearms covered by these orders and outlines timelines for when guns must be relinquished after a court signs off.
Legal process and penalties
The sheriff's post says the Cook County State's Attorney has charged Williams with unlawful possession of a machine gun, and the case is expected to move forward in county court while potential federal exposure remains on the table given the type of weapon that was recovered. Federal code and ATF guidance describe unlawful possession or transfer of a machinegun as a serious criminal offense, and prosecutors sometimes coordinate across state and federal offices when cases involve conversion devices or firearms capable of automatic fire.
Local context
The Leavitt Street seizure adds to a recent run of Cook County Sheriff's Office operations that have turned up large hauls of illegal firearms and ammunition, which officials say helps explain why they sometimes use firearm restraining orders as investigative tools. In June, deputies recovered guns hidden inside a Halsted gas station after a railroad tip and surveillance review, a case detailed in a report that highlighted a railroad tip and store cam nail teen in another alleged machine gun bust.
