Lake County man gets 7 years for trying to sell illegal guns

A Lake County man on Thursday was sentenced to seven years in prison for trying to sell illegal firearms, some of which were stolen.

Agustin Prado, 30, of Waukegan, pleaded guilty to one felony, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office. Earlier in May, co-defendant Cesar Morales was sentenced to 12 years in prison on one count of gunrunning.

“Individuals who engage in gun trafficking make it possible for firearms to end up in the hands of those who are not legally able to possess them. The result is increased violent crime that destabilizes our neighborhoods,” Raoul said. “I will continue to take a proactive approach toward fighting gun violence, and I appreciate the partnership of Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart as well as the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.”

Raoul charged Prado and Morales in September 2023 and prosecuted the cases with Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart’s office. An investigation found that Morales and Prado illegally sold six firearms and an ounce of cocaine in Lake and Cook counties, then Morales illegally sold 10 additional firearms between June and August of 2023. Of the 16 firearms illegally sold, five were reported as being stolen.