Three men were charged with various offenses, including drugs and weapons charges, after a Lee County sheriff’s deputy stopped to assist a disabled vehicle this past Friday in rural Amboy.

Ruben Perez, 48, of Dothan, Alabama; Dennis L. Weaver, 52, of Cairo, Georgia; and Michael T. Whigham, 56, also of Cairo, were charged after a deputy that evening saw a disabled black 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe with Georgia license plates in the area of U.S. 30 and Inlet Road in rural Amboy, according to a news release.

The deputy stopped to assist the stranded vehicle and, while speaking with the occupants, saw items used for ingesting narcotics in plain view, according to the release.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Perez was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon/body armor by a felon, a Class X felony; unlawful possession of an explosive device, a Class 1 felony; and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 3 felony. He was charged with unlawful possession of an assault weapon and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, which are misdemeanors, and was wanted for larceny on a nationwide warrant out of Alabama.

In accordance with the Illinois SAFE-T Act, Perez is being held in the custody of the Lee County Jail, with his preliminary hearing set for Wednesday, Jan. 21, according to court records.

Weaver was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony; unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony; and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, according to the release.

Whigham was charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the release.

Weaver and Whigham were released with notices to appear in court at a later date.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad assisted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office during this incident.