Felon found guilty of firearm possession following traffic stop in Zion

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - A 30-year-old felon is facing up to 30 years in prison after being convicted of firearm possession during a traffic stop in Zion last year.

In March 2022, Carnell Wesson was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by Zion police. During the stop, Wesson failed to comply with police orders and entered a nearby home. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered two firearms under the driver's seat.

After eventually exiting the house, Wesson was taken into custody. DNA found on one of the recovered guns matched Wesson.

He has been found guilty of one count of Armed Habitual Criminal and one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon, with a potential sentence ranging from six to 30 years in prison.

Wesson's legal troubles don't end there. After being initially charged in March 2022, he posted bond and later became involved in a shooting incident in December 2022. In February 2023, he was arrested for the shooting and now faces charges of Aggravated Discharge of a Weapon.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart highlighted the importance of effective law enforcement work and expressed concerns about the cash bond system's impact on community safety.

"We appreciate the effective work of the Zion Police Department and the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Lab. Once again, our prosecutors were able to turn a successful investigation into a "guilty" verdict. We also see from these two cases that using a cash bond system makes our communities less safe. Under the SAFE-T Act, we would have sought detention for the March 2022 incident, and he could not have committed the December 2022 shooting had detention been ordered," Rinehart said in a statement.

Wesson is scheduled for a status hearing on October 16.