Chicago man on electronic monitoring arrested after officers make shocking discovery
CHICAGO - A convicted felon who has been free on electronic monitoring awaiting trial on murder and attempted murder charges is now back behind bars after a startling discovery was made inside his Chicago home.
Bertell Johnson had been out on bond since May 2021.
Earlier this month, the Cook County Sheriff's Office says investigators found multiple guns, ammunition, and suspected narcotics inside his Chicago Lawn home after he posted photos on social media of himself carrying a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun modified with a "switch" that turns the weapon fully automatic.
The items discovered during the search, according to the sheriff's office, include:
- Assault rifle
- Three handguns, including one with a defaced serial number and an auto-switch attached
- One high-capacity 50-round drum magazine
- An extended 9mm magazine
- Two empty 9mm magazines
- Nearly 150 live rounds of ammunition of various calibers
- 16 grams of suspected cocaine
- Approximately 300 grams of suspected cannabis
- 78 suspected oxycodone pills
- Approximately $4,000 in cash
"Mr. Johnson was caught with multiple firearms, ammunition, and a drum magazine while on EM for murder," Sheriff Tom Dart said in a statement. "This was an unacceptable risk to the safety of the community, and perfectly illustrates why I have for years argued that individuals charged with violent crimes should not be placed on electronic monitoring."
Johnson, 30, appeared in court on Jan. 20 and was ordered to be held in custody.