Joliet men arrested by feds, local police on weapons charges

JOLIET – Two Joliet men were arrested by federal and local law enforcement Wednesday on charges of possessing semi-automatic handguns and an Uzi while being convicted felons.

At 10 a.m., Diego G. Santiago, 20, and David J. Hernandez, 36, both of the 300 block of Hunter Avenue, were served with arrest warrants by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

They were assisted by Joliet police, Joliet police Deputy Chief Ed Gregory said.

Santiago and Hernandez were in possession of a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a .22-caliber Uzi handgun, according to charges filed against them by the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

On June 12, Santiago pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and the use of a deadly weapon for an offense that took place Oct. 17, 2016, according to court records. He was sentenced to eight days in jail and two years’ probation.

Hernandez was convicted of unlawful possession of a controlled substance in Cook County, according to court records.

Gregory said he had no further information on the warrant. Santiago and Hernandez were brought to the Joliet Police Department and turned over to ATF agents, he said.

ATF spokesman David Coulson said he didn’t have further information on the charges as they are filed through Will County.

Santiago and Hernandez each faces five counts of unlawful use of a weapon by felon and one count of possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number, according to court records. Each charge is a Class 3 felony, punishable by two to five years in prison if convicted.