Illinois man pleads not guilty in federal machine gun case

HAMMOND | An Illinois man accused of firing a machine gun on New Year's Day in a Griffith apartment complex pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court.

Ismail Bashir, 33, of Country Club Hills, was indicted Feb. 1. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, possession of an unregistered machine gun and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Griffith police were called to the Mansards Apartments, 1035 River Road, to investigate automatic gunfire Jan. 1, according to a criminal complaint.

Bashir told police he fired the weapon at the ground and didn't realize it was a fully automatic weapon.

Police said they found Bashir alone in the parking lot holding a gun later identified as an automatic .45-caliber M10 rifle. Officers also found two extended magazines and about 100 rounds of casings on the ground, police said.

A jury trial was set for April 9.