Man faces weapon, drug charges after court-ordered eviction

A south suburban Burnham man faces felony weapon and drug charges after a court-ordered eviction uncovered a loaded firearm and drugs.

About 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Cook County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home in the 14100 block of South Hoxie Avenue to enforce the eviction, according to the sheriff’s office. Nobody answered the door, so deputies entered the home.

The home smelled strongly of marijuana, the sheriff’s office said. They found 29-year-old Willie Chapman, who lived at the home, inside and told him an eviction was being enforced.

Deputies found a .45-caliber firearm that was loaded and had a 30-round clip, a bag of suspected marijuana, and a bag of what appeared to be bills in an upstairs bathroom, the sheriff’s office said. A clear bag filled with smaller bags of suspected marijuana was found in a bathtub, and a clear plastic container of suspected ecstasy pills was found on the floor of another room.

Chapman did not have a valid FOID card, the sheriff’s office said.

Chapman was taken into custody and charged with felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, possession of ecstasy, and manufacturing/delivery of cannabis, the sheriff’s office said. He was also charged with not having a FOID card, a misdemeanor.

Bond was set at $25,000 for Chapman during his court appearance Friday, the sheriff’s office said. His next court date is scheduled for March 21 at the Markham Courthouse.