Indiana Man Charged in Federal Court With Illegally Selling Dozens of Guns in the Chicago Area

 CHICAGO — An Indiana man has been charged with a federal firearm offense for allegedly illegally selling dozens of handguns and assault rifles in the Chicago area.

WAYNE ADAM TUCKER, 55, of Albion, Ind., is charged with one count of dealing firearms without a license, and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.  A criminal complaint unsealed Monday in federal court in Chicago accuses Tucker of selling 39 guns on four occasions from April 2019 to February 2020.  Three of the alleged sales occurred in south suburban Dolton, while one deal was allegedly conducted in Hammond, Ind.  Unbeknownst to Tucker, the buyer in all of the deals was confidentially working on behalf of law enforcement, the complaint states.

Tucker was arrested Sunday.  He made an initial court appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole, who ordered Tucker released on home detention pending trial.

The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Cooke represents the government.

According to the complaint, Tucker carried out the four unlicensed sales of firearms to the confidential source on April 28, 2019, Aug. 17, 2019, Nov. 16, 2019, and Feb. 8, 2020.  In setting up the deals, Tucker explained to the confidential source that he had several people supplying him with firearms that had been purchased at gun shows in Indiana, the complaint states.

The drug charge accuses Tucker of selling approximately a pound of marijuana to the confidential source during the February transaction.

The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Each count in the complaint is punishable by up to five years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.