La Salle man detained after stolen gun seized in Naplate

A La Salle man was ordered detained Tuesday after police seized two guns in Naplate. One of the firearms was stolen, and another’s serial number was removed.

Evan F. Boswell, 18, also listed in Ottawa, appeared in La Salle County Circuit Court and was presented with three felony charges. The most serious is one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, a Class 2 felony carrying three to seven years in prison.

He also is charged with possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, a Class 3 felony carrying two to five years, and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon with no firearm owner’s identification card, a Class 4 felony carrying one to three years but no possibility of probation.

According to court records and open-court statements, La Salle County sheriff’s deputies were contacted Monday by the owner of a 9 mm handgun that he had transported, encased, in his vehicle. The owner told police that he suspected Boswell, whom he’d given a ride, took the gun.

Deputies found Boswell at a Naplate residence, where he admitted taking the gun, which was recovered in what prosecutors termed “a hiding hole” in a child’s bedroom within the residence. With the stolen gun was a second 9-mm pistol with its serial number defaced.

Assistant La Salle County Public Defender Duane Berkland argued for pretrial release, citing Boswell’s age and no previous adult felony history. He argued that there was no direct evidence, such as fingerprints, linking Boswell to the defaced firearm.

“There’s literally no evidence that ties Mr. Boswell to that offense,” Berkland said.

But prosecutor Laura Hall said Boswell has a juvenile conviction for a stolen firearm “less than a year ago” and said the present charges pose an inherent risk to the public.

Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. agreed and said he was troubled by the fact that the unsecured weapons, at least one of which was loaded, both were found in a child’s bedroom. He ordered Boswell detained and set the matter over for arraignment Aug. 28.