Police find machine gun, drugs in Freeport home during raid

FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — An investigation led Freeport Police to the home of a man suspected of drug dealing, and a subsequent search of his home resulted in officers finding an illegally modified handgun.

According to the Freeport Police Department, Cornellius Ellis, 34, was arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm without a Firearm Owner’s Identification card, and possession with intent to deliver 500 to 2,000 grams of cannabis.

Police raided the home, in the 500 block of E. Pleasant Street, at 12:54 p.m. on Thursday, August 21st.

Authorities said the semi-automatic pistol they found in the home was equipped with an illegal switch device that enabled it to fire automatically, effectively turning the weapon into a machine gun.

A 30-round high-capacity magazine and two pounds of marijuana were found inside the residence, police said.

Ellis was booked into the Stephenson County Jail, where he awaits the outcome of a pretrial detention hearing.