Markham, IL – A Chicago Heights man is facing a felony weapons charge after Cook County Sheriff’s Police investigators recovered a loaded firearm during a traffic stop in Chicago Heights earlier this month.
According to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, investigators with the Organized Crime Division stopped a black Maserati Ghibli at approximately 11:05 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, in the 200 block of West 14th Place after the driver allegedly failed to use a turn signal.
Authorities said investigators developed probable cause for a drug investigation after learning there was suspected cannabis inside the vehicle. The driver, identified as 22-year-old Benjamin Sanchez of Chicago Heights, was asked to exit the vehicle.
Investigators reported recovering suspected cannabis and a loaded firearm from the vehicle. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Sanchez did not possess a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card or a concealed carry license.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Sanchez on the morning of Monday, July 14, with one felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon. He was also charged with misdemeanor unlawful possession of cannabis and cited for failing to use a turn signal, according to authorities.
Later that day, Sanchez appeared in court at the Markham Courthouse, where a judge ordered him into the Chief Judge’s pretrial electronic monitoring program, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The allegations remain pending in court. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
