A man has been sentenced on May 5 to more than six and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded firearm during an attempted burglary in Chicago, according to a May 13 announcement.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about gun violence and the use of illegal firearms in the city. The presence of modified weapons capable of automatic fire remains an issue for law enforcement and public safety.
Narveal Raggs, age 27, was found with a loaded handgun equipped with a “switch” device that enabled it to fire multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. Authorities said Raggs and others tried to break into a store on North Halsted Street in Lincoln Park early on Nov. 15, 2024. Police arrived before entry was made; Raggs fled and threw the weapon onto a nearby roof before being apprehended.
Raggs had previously been convicted of several felonies, including firearm-related offenses, which prohibited him from possessing any guns. He pleaded guilty in December 2025 to federal charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Raggs to six years and eight months in prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge at the FBI’s Chicago Field Office; and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Jodrey represented the government.
