An 18-year-old Evanston man is facing a felony charge after police recovered a loaded handgun reportedly stolen from Iowa during a traffic stop near the 1900 block of Jackson Avenue in Evanston on May 28, according to the Evanston Police Department.
Billy D. Price Jr., of the 1900 block of Jackson in Evanston, has since been charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with one felony count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon and one misdemeanor count of improper possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle, the news release said.
According to Evanston police, at 9:51 p.m. on May 28, officers observed a vehicle with a suspended registration ignore a stop sign while driving on Jackson Avenue, and conducted a routine traffic stop.
Police said the rear-seat passenger of the vehicle made a “furtive movement” in the back of the vehicle and fled on foot to a nearby residential area while carrying a fanny pack.
The driver and front-seat passenger remained in the car and cooperated with officers, according to the department.
A subsequent investigation by officers discovered unlawful cannabis within the vehicle, in addition to a loaded Ruger Security-9 9mm handgun from the area police said the rear-seat passenger had occupied.
The handgun reportedly contained 11 rounds of ammunition and one round chambered, according to police.
Officers later confirmed in an investigation that the gun had been reported stolen from Iowa in 2024, the news release said.
Price eventually returned to the scene and officers took him into custody without incident.
While in police custody, officers confirmed Price did not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card nor a Concealed Carry License.
An arrest does not constitute a conviction.
Price appeared at the Skokie Courthouse, 5600 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, on May 29. The court denied the state’s petition for pretrial detention, and Price was released pending a future trial, according to police.
Price’s next scheduled court appearance is June 23 at 1:30 p.m. at the Skokie Courthouse.
