Categories: Chicago

6 years in prison for man boarding Belmont CTA Platform with AK-47

A man has gotten himself in trouble with the law as he has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for bringing an AK-47 to a platform. He had strapped the rifle to his chest. He had tried to sneak the weapon onto a North Side CTA platform. He was already in trouble with the law as he brought the rifle to the station.

The U.S. attorney’s office of the Northern District of Illinois have identified the man as Jordan Watkins. He is 31-years old. The U.S. attorney’s office of the Northern District of Illinois have said in a statement that he was already on parole on July 29, 2017 when he had brought a loaded rifle on the Belmont station’s platform at 945 W. Belmont Ave.

The Chicago Police have identified the loaded weapon as AK-47. The prosecutors say that Watkins had more ammunition than the loaded weapon. They say that he was carrying a messenger bag with two 30-round magazines. They also say that one of them had four rounds.

Prosecutors say that the officials had gotten a tip from someone as he/she called 911 to report a man. The mysterious informant had said that someone “had a gun on him and like a really big clip.” The police wasted no time and responded to the call at 6:23 a.m. They had arrested Watkins on the southbound platform. Prosecutors say that the weapon holder had pleaded guilty to a federal charge of illegal gun possession by a felon last year.

U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood has announced the verdict on Wednesday. The judge has sentenced him to 6 years and 5 months in federal prison. The Illinois Department of Corrections say that Watkins was on parole when he committed the illegal gun possession crime. He was convicted of armed robbery and possession of a controlled substance. He had been released from prison in August 2016.

Adyson Sipes

Staff writer for the Chicago Morning Star

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