Convicted Felon Had Stolen Handgun: Police

A Skokie man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges in addition to traffic citations after police found a handgun allegedly reported stolen out of Tennessee in his vehicle during a Sunday afternoon traffic stop.

Virgil M. Houston, 21, of the 9400 block of Niles Center Rd. in Skokie was being stopped by Evanston police at 4:33 p.m. on Sunday in the 800 block of Dodge Avenue, reports say.

After turning his vehicle into a parking lot and striking a parked vehicle, it was found Houston did not have a valid drivers license or proof of insurance. An ensuing search revealed a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun reported stolen from Shelby County, Tennessee.

Houston, who had been on probation from a previous charge, faces new charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a felony and misdemeanor counts of possession of firearm without requisite firearm owners ID and possession of firearm ammunition without requisite firearm owners ID.

He was also cited with three traffic offenses: failure to wear properly adjusted safety belt, operating vehicle without valid driver’s license and no valid proof of vehicle insurance.