Chicago man charged after deputies recover stolen gun on Red Line train, sheriff says

CHICAGO - A Chicago man is facing a felony weapons charge after authorities said they found him carrying a stolen gun on a CTA train last week.

The backstory:

According to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were conducting a routine premises check around 11 p.m. May 11 at the Garfield Boulevard Red Line station when they saw a man vaping on a train, which violates CTA rules.

Deputies took the man into custody on a disorderly conduct violation and identified him as Maurice Timberlake, according to the sheriff’s office.

During a safety search of Timberlake and his backpack, officers said they recovered a loaded firearm. Investigators later learned the gun had been reported stolen from Jackson, Mississippi, in 2016.

Maurice Timberlake, gun and items recovered during his arrest on May 11. | Cook County Sheriff

The sheriff's office said Timberlake had a valid FOID card, but guns are prohibited on CTA property. He was charged with one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.

What's next:

Timberlake appeared in court for a detention hearing, where a judge ordered him released from custody.