Felon convicted of illegally possessing handgun, obstructing justice

CHICAGO - A convicted felon was found guilty of illegally possessing a handgun with an extended magazine in Woodlawn in 2016 and attempting to pay witnesses to give false statements.

Ramone Shaffers, 37, was convicted by a jury Thursday of one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of obstruction of justice, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Shaffers had previously been convicted of a felony and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm, prosecutors said.

On Oct. 16, 2016, officers pulled up behind a vehicle parked near 62nd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, prosecutors said. The officers smelled marijuana and heard loud music coming from the vehicle.

Shaffers, who was behind the wheel of the vehicle, ran out and was taken into custody at a later time, prosecutors said. Three other people were inside of the vehicle.

While in jail, Shaffers called someone he hoped would pay off the passengers in the vehicle in exchange for their false testimony, prosecutors said.

In the call, which was recored by law enforcement, Shaffer explained “everybody could say he didn’t have anything. He was there, but he ain’t have nothing,” prosecutors said.

Shaffers, of Chicago, told the person in the call that the charges against him would be thrown out if the witnesses made those statements, prosecutors said.

His sentencing hearing was set for April 4, the state’s attorney’s office said. He faces up to 20 years in prison.