Search of Geneva house turns up AR-15, AK-47, 1,500 rounds of ammunition

GENEVA – A welfare check on a Geneva man led to a search of his house and retrieval of five weapons, including an AR-15 rifle, an AK-47 rifle and more than 1,500 rounds of assorted ammunition, according to police reports.

Brian S. Foley, 62, of the 200 block of Hawley Lane, Geneva, was charged July 24 with six counts of possession of a firearm while his FOID card was revoked and one misdemeanor charge of illegal possession of ammunition without a FOID card, court records show.

Police were called to the Hawley Lane address about 9:30 p.m. in response to a well-being check from a concerned neighbor who called to report Foley’s garage door and a vehicle door being left open, according to the report.

The officer saw Foley sitting inside, directed his flashlight at Foley and announced himself. Foley got up, gestured – which the officer believed meant “give me a moment” – and then walked out of view, according to the report.

Foley returned into view, walked toward the front door with his left hand behind his back, but the officer could see the handle of a gun in his hand, according to the report.

Two officers drew their weapons and ordered Foley to drop his, according to the report.

Foley put the gun on the floor and walked out of the house, according to the report.

After officers found that Foley’s Firearm Owners Identification, or FOID card, was revoked, he was placed under arrest, according to the report.

Foley said he had a girlfriend asleep inside the house and that there was another handgun inside, according to the report.

The officer asked permission to enter the house and get the other gun, but Foley would not consent, according to the report.

After Foley was taken to the police department for questioning, he told officers the other gun was a Beretta 9 mm, according to the report.

Foley said when he heard knocking on his door, he didn’t know it was the police and he got the gun for protection, according to the report.

Police obtained a search warrant and found five other weapons in Foley’s house. In addition to the AR-15 rifle and AK-47 rifle, officers found three other handguns and the ammunition.

The six weapons charges are all Class 3 felonies, punishable by two to five years in prison and fines up to $25,000, if convicted.

Foley said he would contact his attorney to provide comment.

Foley was released after posting $1,500 bail, or 10% of a $15,000 bond that was set. The terms of his release are that he is not to have any weapons and is on home monitoring, records show. He is to appear in court again Aug. 24.

Illinois lawmakers banned semi-automatic guns in January, including the AR-15 and AK-47, after a mass shooting in Highland Park in 2022. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court left the ban in place, but appeals still are pending in federal court.