A DuPage County judge has denied pretrial release for three men who allegedly were in possession of loaded machine guns and drugs in a car outside of a Naperville Bowlero.
Demarveus Butler, 19, from Michigan City, Indiana, Terrance Reed, 27, from Chicago, and Rubin Tart, 24, from Country Club Hills, appeared in court on Monday afternoon, according to a news release from DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres.
Multiple charges for each man
Butler is being charged with possession of a loaded machine gun and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Reed faces charges of armed habitual criminal, armed violence, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Tart is charged with unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
All three were also charged with misdemeanor resisting a police officer, the news release said.
Suspicion raised with temporary registration error
Prosecutors say that around 11 p.m. on Dec. 2, Naperville police officers were doing surveillance in the Bowlero parking lot at 1515 Aurora Ave., when they spotted a Honda Accord displaying a temporary registration, which was linked to a 2008 Nissan.
During their watch, they said they saw three men, later identified as Butler, Reed, and Tart, get in the car. Police pulled up in front of the vehicle to pin it in, at which point they allege the Honda reversed, hitting an empty car behind it. Another Naperville police car then pinned in the vehicle from behind.
Prosecutors say the three men then allegedly got out of the car and tried to flee, but were caught and taken into custody.
Machine guns and drugs spotted in vehicle, prosecutors say
Authorities say that when police went back to the Honda, they allegedly clearly saw a Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine and one bullet in the chamber, placed near the center console. The gun also had the functionality to be changed into a fully automatic machine gun, according to prosecutors.
Also inside the car, prosecutors said, was a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a fifty-round drum attachment, also equipped to be able to convert to a fully automatic weapon, and a loaded Glock 19 handgun with one bullet in the chamber which was reportedly stolen from Indiana.
Also recovered from the car, prosecutors say, was a loaded American tactical omni hybrid rifle with one bullet in the chamber, three loaded magazines, and two boxes of ammunition.
A number of drugs were also recovered from the vehicle, authorities said. Those included 21.4 grams of cocaine, 5.2 grams of heroin, 54 grams of cannabis, and three full pills and four half-pills of MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
An investigation showed that the Honda was a stolen vehicle, which had been taken out of Chicago, according to the news release.
Law officials emphasize their commitment to public safety
“Public safety is the top priority of my office and the allegations that these three men unlawfully possessed extremely dangerous, fully loaded weapons, two of which that are capable of firing as a machine gun, at a family-friendly entertainment facility are alarming,” Berlin said in the news release. “The quick apprehension of the defendants in this case sends the message that in DuPage County we will not hesitate to remove firearms from those who cannot legally possess them.”
“The number of illegal guns and drugs seized during this incident were significant, and I cannot thank my officers enough for engaging in the type of proactive policing that results in illegal items like these being taken off our streets,” Arres said in the news release. “There is no place in Naperville for these types of offenses, and this department will continue to prioritize the safety of our community by seeking out criminal activity and arresting those involved.
Butler and Reed are scheduled to appear in court again on Jan. 2, 2024 for arraignment. Tart’s will take place on Jan. 12, 2024.
Second recent gun-related incident at Naperville Bowlero parking lot
This is the second gun-related incident at that Naperville Bowlero parking lot within the past two weeks.
Imira Williams, 22, from Aurora, was denied pretrial release as well, after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase on Nov. 25 in which authorities say she reportedly reached speeds of 122 miles per hour.
That incident began at the Naperville Bowlero, where police say they saw a firearm in a vehicle just before 1:20 a.m.
When Williams and an unknown man entered the car and began to smoke marijuana, police asked to search the car. At that point, prosecutors say, the man allegedly fled the vehicle on foot. While police gave chase to him, Williams allegedly drove away in the vehicle, and the high-speed chase ensued. She allegedly blew through seven red lights in Naperville, and nearly collided with a squad car, before she got on I-88 where she hit speeds of 122 mph before being caught, prosecutors said.
Photo courtesy: DuPage County State’s Attorney
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