Indiana man convicted of illegally selling handguns in Chicago

A federal jury convicted an Indiana man of unlawfully selling guns to gang members on the west side of Chicago.

Willie Lee Biles Jr., 44, of Indianapolis, was convicted of dealing guns without a license late last month in Chicago federal court.

Authorities said in the fall of 2013 he would legally buy handguns from licensed dealers in Indiana, store them in a gym bag and then hop on a Megabus to Chicago where he would sell them. Once in the Windy City, he would sit on the porch of a house and sell them for two to three times the price he originally paid, the Justice Department said.

During each sale, Biles did not ask customers for identification or attempted to verify if they were legally permitted to possess a firearm. Law enforcement in the Chicagoland area recovered seven of the guns Biles sold.

At least one of his customers was a convicted felon and considered a prohibited person. The felon Otto Lewellen, of Bellwood, pleaded guilty last year to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He’s currently service 18 months in prison.

In the Biles case, a jury handed down a verdict on May 25. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 16. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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