Four charged in Evanston drug raid

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Updated: February 24, 2012 12:45PM

Four Evanston residents were arrested and drugs, an assault rifle and cash seized after police executed a search of a residence Tuesday morning on the 1700 block of Monroe Street.

Evanston Police Department investigators with the Neighborhood Enforcement Team’s narcotics and gang crimes unit, along with members of an emergency services team of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm Services, executed the search around 10 a.m. at 1710 Monroe St., said Cmdr. Jay Parrott in a news release issued Wednesday.

Police were able to seize roughly 115 grams of marijuana, an AR-15 assault rifle, assault rifle ammunition, about $900 in cash and items commonly used for packaging marijuana for sale, such as small plastic bags and a digital scale, Parrott said.

As a result of the investigation and execution of the search warrant, four individuals were arrested and charged. They were:

• Demetrius D. Mason, 32, in whose home the raid was executed. He was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, armed violence, a felony; unlawful use of a weapon by a felon (two counts); unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, a felony; and unlawful possession of marijuana, a felony.

He also was charged with possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card, a misdemeanor.

• Brandon A. Wright, 24, also of 1710 Monroe St., was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of marijuana, a felony.

Both Mason and Wright are scheduled to appear for a hearing on the charges Feb. 16 in Cook County 2nd District Circuit Court, Skokie.

Two others were arrested on lesser charges. Cojuan D. Ruffin, 36, of 1520 Dempster St., and Precious S. Jobe, 22, of 723 Dodge Ave., were charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

They are to appear March 1 in the Skokie branch of Cook County Circuit Court.