Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that his office charged a DuPage County man with forgery and falsifying information on a Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) card application submitted to the Illinois State Police (ISP).
The Attorney General’s office charged Raphael L. Hunter, 33, of Lombard, Illinois, in DuPage County Circuit Court with two counts of unlawful violation of the Firearms Owners Identification Card Act, Class 2 felonies each punishable by up to seven years in prison; and two counts of forgery, Class 3 felonies each punishable by up to five years in prison. Hunter’s next court appearance is July 30.
“Protecting communities from gun violence includes ensuring individuals who possess firearms have obtained them in accordance with state law,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work with the Illinois State Police to prosecute individuals who lie on FOID card applications.”
Raoul’s office alleges that in January of 2023, Hunter knowingly entered false information on a FOID application, forged the application and then delivered it to the ISP.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals is a duty the Illinois State Police takes very seriously,” said Brendan F. Kelly. “The collaborative work between ISP special agents and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office is evidence of our commitment to bringing those who break the law to justice and protecting the rights of citizens.”
In addition to prosecuting individuals who lie on FOID card applications, the Attorney General’s office works with state law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to increase awareness of Illinois’ red flag law, and to address gaps in Illinois’ firearms licensing system.
The public is reminded the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant Attorney General Steven Knight is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s Statewide Grand Jury Bureau.
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