Lombard man accused of falsifying information on FOID card application

A Lombard man was charged Friday with forgery and falsifying information on a Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) card application submitted to the Illinois State Police (ISP).

Raphael L. Hunter, 33, was charged by the Illinois Attorney General’s office with two felony counts of unlawful violation of the Firearms Owners Identification Card Act and two felony counts of forgery, according to an Attorney General’s office news release.

Hunter was indicted in January and arrested in May. He is free on pretrial release, according to court records.

“Protecting communities from gun violence includes ensuring individuals who possess firearms have obtained them in accordance with state law,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in the release. “I will continue to work with the Illinois State Police to prosecute individuals who lie on FOID card applications.”

In January 2023, Hunter allegedly entered false information on a FOID application, forged the application and then delivered it to the Illinois State Police, according to the release.

“Keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals is a duty the Illinois State Police takes very seriously,” Brendan F. Kelly, director of the Illinois State Police, said in the release. “The collaborative work between ISP special agents and the Illinois Attorney General’s office is evidence of our commitment to bringing those who break the law to justice and protecting the rights of citizens.”

Hunter’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.

• Daily Herald Media Group contributed to this report.