Lisle police: Gun, open alcohol found after speeding stop

A man Lisle police stopped for speeding early Sunday morning now is in jail on several charges after officers found open alcohol and a handgun with 28 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle, authorities said.

Charges against Pryce Bettis, 45, of the 18600 block of Augusta Lane in Hazel Crest, include unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, DUI, driving while license suspended or revoked, aggravated DUI while license suspended or revoked, speeding and improper lane usage, according to the DuPage County state's attorney's office.

Lisle police pulled over Bettis about 2:20 a.m. Sunday at Route 53 and Warrenville Road because an officer saw him speeding, Deputy Chief Ron Wilke said.

A search of his vehicle found open alcohol and a .40-caliber handgun with 14 rounds of ammunition inside and another 14 in a separate magazine. A search of his record found a felony conviction in Illinois, but the state's attorney's office was unable to comment further on his criminal history. Wilke said he did not know the reason for Bettis' past felony.

Court records show Bettis has a clean criminal history in DuPage, Kane and Lake counties. In Will County, he was charged but not prosecuted in 2004 for speeding between 21 and 25 mph over the limit, operating an uninsured vehicle and driving on a revoked license, court records show.

Bail for Bettis was set at $25,000 Monday morning in DuPage County bond court. He remained in jail Monday afternoon.