Prosecutors: Rosemont police arrested gang member trying to sell assault rifle

A 30-year-old admitted gang member who prosecutors say planned to sell an AK-47 assault rifle was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and ordered held on $750,000 bail Friday.

Rosemont police received information on Nov. 9 that Julio Perez, who has Chicago and Franklin Park addresses, intended to sell an assault rifle, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Gates.

After obtaining additional information from a social media site, police watched Perez's Chicago address on Wednesday and saw him place a long, narrow object wrapped in a towel into the trunk of a car marked by bullet holes and broken glass from an Oct. 20 shooting in Chicago, Gates said.

Perez and another person drove from Chicago to a big-box store where they picked up a third person and then drove to Franklin Park, Gates said. From there, the trio drove to Rosemont where police conducted a traffic stop on Carol Court.

After obtaining a search warrant, officers recovered from the trunk an assault rifle wrapped in a towel secured by rubber bands and duct tape, plus two 30-round magazines and a bag with 11 bullets in a magazine, Gates said.

At the police station, one of the occupants of the car said Perez was going to sell the rifle to get money for Christmas gifts, Gates said.

She said Perez has a Firearm Owner's Identification card but has several misdemeanor domestic battery convictions and an order of protection that prohibit him from possessing a firearm. Prosecutors also say Perez has several weapons violations.

If convicted, Perez faces up to 14 years in prison. He next appears in court on Dec. 6.