A Chicago man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly brought a loaded firearm into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse earlier this week, telling security officers that he wanted to “get arrested,” federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
James Lake Jr., 53, has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, according to a criminal complaint filed in Chicago on Monday.
Lake is accused of bringing a loaded semiautomatic handgun into the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building at 219 S. Dearborn St. on Monday morning.
The newly filed complaint, citing security video footage, alleges that Lake walked into the downtown courthouse at around 7:40 a.m. carrying a bookbag and approached court security officers on duty. Lake then told the security officers that he wanted to turn himself in, the complaint stated. The officers, in turn, explained the process of going through courthouse security to Lake and asked him if he had any violations that would warrant the U.S. Marshals to detain him.
“No, I don’t wanna cause any trouble, I just wanna get arrested,” Lake responded, according to the complaint. The officers, per filings, then asked Lake if there was anything in the bookbag he had that they should know about and Lake replied, “Yes, there’s a gun in there and some other stuff.”
A search of Lake’s bookbag produced a semiautomatic pistol loaded with a magazine containing six rounds alongside several rounds of ammunition inside a white sock, a box cutter and a jack knife inside a sheath. A U.S. Marshal’s inspector arrested Lake and seized the bookbag’s contents.
The complaint, reviewing Lake’s criminal history, stated Lake had previously been convicted of aiding and abetting, with intent to distribute a narcotic drug-controlled substance in California 34 years ago.
After an initial appearance on Tuesday, a magistrate judge ordered Lake to remain in federal custody. A public defender for Lake could not be immediately reached on Wednesday afternoon.
Last summer, a 38-year-old Chicago man prompted a nine-hour standoff at Dirksen after walking into the courthouse with a knife and threatening to hurt himself. Mario Santoyo faces one count
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of possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility with intent to use the weapon in the commission of a crime. A court docket shows proceedings in the case are ongoing.