Loaded Stolen Handgun Found In Chicago Man's Backpack During Plainfield Traffic Stop: Police

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield police recovered a loaded stolen handgun from a car officers pulled over Sept. 12 for driving without a registration light, officials said Wednesday.

A 22-year-old Chicago man named Trayvon Spraggins, whose arrest was included in a police blotter shared this week, was issued several felony charges that stemmed from the traffic stop at about 1:45 a.m. Sept. 12 near Route 30 and West Spangler Road.

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Officers pulled over a silver Chevy Malibu for an equipment violation, and after the car stopped, police approached and noticed "burnt cannabis smoke billowing out of the passenger side of the vehicle," Sgt. Luke Ostreko told Patch.

While speaking with the driver, identified as Darryl Liberty, the officer saw improperly stored cannabis inside the car, which prompted a search of the vehicle and additional police to come to the scene, Ostreko said.

During the search, police found a backpack with unsealed plastic bags of cannabis, a plastic bag with white pills, and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun that the system flagged as stolen, according to Ostreko. One of the passengers, identified as Spraggins, said the backpack was his, police said.

The leafy substance field-tested positive for cannabis, but results have not yet come back on the white pills, Ostreko told Patch on Wednesday.

Liberty and another passenger were released from the scene after the driver was cited for unlawful possession of cannabis by the driver and driving without a registration light.

Officers took Spraggins to police headquarters, where he was processed and charged with possession of a stolen firearm, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of cannabis.

"The weapons charges for Spraggins stem from the fact that the firearm was confirmed as stolen, and because Spraggins did not possess a valid conceal carry license to carry the loaded firearm," Ostreko said.

Spraggins was transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility and released Sept. 13.