Men face gun charges after Evanston arrest

Two men are facing felony charges after officers caught them with guns and drugs Thursday afternoon in north suburban Evanston, according to police.

Officers were called at 4:22 p.m. for reports of two people smoking marijuana in a vehicle in the 2100 block of Dewey Avenue, according to Evanston police. As officers approached the vehicle, 25-year-old Edward D. Carter and 27-year-old James W. Johnson got out and tried to walk away.

The officers “detected a strong odor of cannabis coming from the vehicle” and could see a “rolled cannabis cigar” in the center console ashtray, police said. They also saw the handle and hammer of a handgun sticking out from between the center console and the passenger seat.

They took Carter, who had been sitting in the driver’s seat; and Johnson, who had been in the passenger seat, into custody, police said.

Upon searching the car, police recovered a loaded H&R .22-caliber revolver from between the seats, a loaded Taurus .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with two extra magazines from under the driver’s seat, and a clear plastic baggie containing 3.3 grams of marijuana.

Carter, who lives in Skokie, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, police said. Johnson, who lives in Evanston, was charged with being an armed habitual criminal.

They were both also charged with a misdemeanor count each of unlawful use of a weapon without an FOID card, and possession of a handgun or ammunition without an FOID card, police said.

Bond for Johnson was set at $150,000 Friday and his next court date was scheduled for Aug. 7, according to Cook County sheriff’s office records.

Carter was held on $75,000 bond Friday. He was next scheduled in court Aug. 10.