Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today that his office charged a Lake 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 Edwin Lara, 34, of Waukegan, Illinois, in Lake 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. Lara pleaded not guilty, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 7.
“Individuals who knowingly falsify information in order to obtain a firearm break the law and need to be held accountable,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work with the Illinois State Police to prosecute anyone who lies on a FOID card application.”
Raoul’s office alleges that in November 2022, Lara failed to disclose he had been previously convicted of a felony when applying for his FOID card, forged the application and then delivered it to the ISP.
“It is critical to stop prohibited persons from criminally obtaining a firearm,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP will continue to work closely with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to investigate individuals who lie on FOID card applications and protect the integrity of the process.”
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.
