Chicago man on electronic monitoring on murder charge busted with guns, drugs, sheriff says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A convicted felon who was out on electronic monitoring awaiting trial for murder is now charged with additional counts after drugs and guns were found at his home, the Cook County Sheriff's office announced Monday.
On Friday, Jan. 19, the Cook County Sheriff's Electronic Monitoring investigators conducted a safety compliance check at the home of Bertell Johnson in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. They did so after finding out Johnson had posted social media photos of himself carrying a semiautomatic rifle and a handgun with a switch to turn it fully automatic, the Sheriff's office said.
Johnson, 30, was already convicted of drug and gun offenses in the past, the Sheriff's office said. He was placed on electronic monitoring for in May 2021, as a condition of his bond while awaiting trial on first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, and aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm.
The Sheriff's office did not elaborate on the murder case in which Johnson was charged.
During the search earlier this month, investigators found an assault rifle, three handguns – including one with a defaced serial number and an auto switch – a high-capacity 50-round drum magazine, an extended 9mm magazine, two empty 9mm magazines, and about 150 live rounds of ammunition of various calibers, the Sheriff's office said.
Also found were 16 grams of suspected cocaine, 300 grams of suspected cannabis, 78 oxycodone pills, and about $4,000 in cash, the Sheriff's office said.
"Mr. Johnson was caught with multiple firearms, ammunition, and a drum magazine while on EM for murder," Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said in a news release. "This was an unacceptable risk to the safety of the community, and perfectly illustrates why I have for years argued that individuals charged with violent crimes should not be placed on electronic monitoring."
On Saturday, Jan. 20, Johnson appeared at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse – where he was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and various drug counts. He was ordered held in custody at the Cook County Jail.
