Feds Charge 14 In Chicago Area Gun Trafficking Case
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Federal agents and Chicago police have arrested 14 people, and confiscated more than 100 firearms, following an eight month gun trafficking investigation.
Officials at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said the arrests were the culmination of a crime-fighting strategy called the "Chicago Initiative," involving a combination of federal agents and local police targeting the illegal gun trade.
Illegal handguns were being sold for as little as $100, according to the feds.
Authorities seized 17 weapons alone from one home in Gary, Indiana.
Most of the defendants have been charged with being felons in possession of firearms, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
One defendant has been charged with dealing firearms without a federal license. Another was charged with illegal possession of a machine gun.
The investigation used three confidential informants to help gather information.