Chicago man facing 14 felony charges after narcotics investigation by Evanston police

A man is facing multiple felony charges after an investigation by Evanston police led to the seizure of drugs and weapons at his Chicago home.

Evanston police said Ernest W. Pentek, 48, of Chicago, was charged with 14 felonies, including four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon involving a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, one count of possession of methamphetamine, four counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, one count of possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, and one count of possession of cannabis.

Evanston police said an investigation was carried out by its Special Operations Group and developed information that Pentek was allegedly distributing narcotics in the Evanston and Chicago areas.

Investigators also received information indicating that Pentek possessed multiple guns and potentially dangerous incendiary devices, the department said.

According to the department, officers gathered additional evidence and obtained a search warrant for Pentek's home in the 6900 block of North Ashland Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood.

The Special Operations Group, along with Evanston Police Department's Special Response Team and the Cook County Sheriff's Police Bomb Squad, executed the search warrant around 2 p.m. on Friday. Pentek was taken into custody without incident.

Officers recovered four firearms, an airsoft rifle, more than 500 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 7.1 grams of suspected heroin, 11 grams of suspected Xanax, 4 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 39 suspected MDMA pills, and approximately 2.6 pounds of suspected cannabis during the search of Pentek's home. 

The department said officers also recovered a substance believed to be Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), $1,185 in U.S. currency, ballistic protective equipment, and several suspected homemade incendiary devices.

Pentek is scheduled to appear in court in Chicago on Saturday.