Levaine Tanksley | Felon charged with selling 47 guns - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Felon charged with selling 47 guns

A convicted felon is charged in federal court with illegally supplying 47 guns to an informant who secretly recorded the transactions on the South Side.

Levaine Tanksley, 27, allegedly sold the firearms to the informant between April 22 and Monday, when Tanksley was arrested. He was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and is being held for a detention hearing Friday. In 2006, he was convicted of a drug charge and received probation in Cook County Criminal Court.

Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Chicago Police and Illinois State Police will try to determine where Tanksley allegedly got the 47 weapons, which the informant bought for about $28,000, said ATF spokesman Tom Ahern. At least 23 of the guns came from out-of-state dealers, according to a federal complaint.

All of the 47 weapons were handguns, except for one shotgun.