CHICAGO, IL – Ricky Green, 28, of Chicago, is headed to federal prison for nearly six years after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun during the chaotic unrest that gripped the city in May 2020. The sentence, handed down Thursday by U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah, underscores the federal government’s crackdown on firearm offenses amid periods of civil disorder.
The incident unfolded on May 31, 2020, in Chicago’s Lake View neighborhood. Green, along with accomplices, attempted to break into a Target store located at 3300 North Ashland Avenue. When Chicago Police arrived on the scene, a pursuit ensued. The vehicle carrying Green and others was quickly disabled on Lincoln Avenue, leading to a foot chase.
In a desperate attempt to evade capture, Green ditched the vehicle and stashed a bag containing the handgun behind a broom and dustpan in a residential gangway. He then attempted to hide under the stairs of a home in the 1300 block of West Wellington Avenue, but police quickly apprehended him, recovering the concealed firearm. The gun was not his to have; Green had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including a prior firearm offense, making him legally prohibited from possessing any weapon. He was also on parole at the time of the offense.
Federal prosecutors argued that Green’s actions were particularly egregious, noting he “made a calculated decision to carry the gun while committing another serious crime, attempted burglary.” They emphasized that he intentionally brought the weapon into the “chaos accompanying the pervasive looting and vandalism,” exploiting the crisis for his own criminal purposes. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey B. Rubenstein and Sushma Raju drove home this point in their sentencing memorandum.
The case was a key component of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through focused federal prosecution of firearm offenses. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John R. Lausch, Jr., has prioritized these cases as part of a broader strategy to combat violence in the district. The investigation involved the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as the Chicago Police Department, led by Superintendent David Brown.
Green was sentenced to five years and nine months in federal prison. His case serves as a warning that those who illegally possess firearms, especially during times of public unrest, will face serious federal consequences. The Department of Justice continues to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who contribute to the cycle of violence in communities across the country.
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