Felons Accused Of Illegally Firing Guns At Shooting-Range

OAK FOREST, IL — Two Chicago men are accused of firing guns illegally at a shooting-range because they are convicted felons. Jarvis Bell, 26, and Ricky Jones, 34, appeared before Cook County Judge John Mahoney on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

According to the complaint, Jarvis and Bell were accompanied by a friend with a valid FOID card to the Eagle Sports Range in Oak Forest, around 6:15 p.m. Sept. 7. The prosecutor said the friend rented a weapon for the three to use, and proceeded to the range area. After shooting for a while, the prosecutor said Jarvis, Bell and their friend went back and rented another gun.

A Chicago police officer familiar with Jarvis and Bell’s backgrounds, notified Oak Forest police of the convicted felons’ unlawfully handling a gun at the shooting-range on security video cameras, the prosecutor said. Bell and Jarvis were arrested by Chicago police officers on Sept. 23 on felony gun charges. The friend with the valid FOID card was not charged.

Jones has a 2009 manufacture and delivery conviction, and aggravated battery conviction in 2007, for which he was sentenced to two years of probation and boot camp, respectively, the prosecutor said. He has an unrelated pending case at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building at 26th and California. Jones was issued a violation of bail bond pending a court appearance.

Mahoney set bail on the new charge at $20,000.

“No guns means no guns,” Mahoney said.

The prosecutor told the judge that Bell has 2015 convictions for possession of a gun with a defaced serial number and unlawful use of a weapon, and a second conviction for a defaced gun in 2011. Bail was set at $50,000.

“You just like guns too much,” the judge said.

Jarvis and Bell are due back in court Oct. 17 in Bridgeview.