In Chicago, where firearms abound, finding a gun in the possession of a convicted felon is hardly extraordinary. However, what makes Sheldon Bains’ case unique is the firearm he was found with in October 2020: a 9 mm Glock 19 pistol adorned with Donald Trump’s image. Federal prosecutors discovered the weapon hidden beneath a mattress during a parole visit to Bains’ South Side home, along with bags of marijuana. The gun featured Trump’s face etched on the grip, the words ‘Trump 45th’ and a presidential seal on one side of the barrel, and ‘Keep America Great!’ on the other. Court records indicate that the ‘Trump gun’ belonged to Bains’ relative, Charles Johnson, but was reported stolen several months earlier. Bains, who was on parole for a robbery conviction at the time, initially denied any knowledge of the firearm. However, subsequent events revealed a more disturbing pattern. A few weeks after his arrest, Bains was recorded in a phone call from Cook County Jail pressuring his 15-year-old nephew to take responsibility for the gun. “Hey, killa go on make it happen for me,” Bains said, according to court records. “They can’t do nothin’ to you. They can’t charge both of us. … If you leave me like this man, they goin — they can do somethin’ to me, man.” During Bains’ sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland expressed particular concern over his attempt to shift blame to his young nephew. “You’re putting pressure on him to take responsibility for this gun and he’s a kid,” Rowland said. “You’re 46. Man up! … You’re the cool uncle. You should be telling him ‘Get the hell out of this life. Get as far away from it as you can.’ Don’t drag him down.” Rowland acknowledged that firearms are often seen as a necessary means of self-preservation for individuals like Bains, who has lost family members to gun violence and been shot himself on multiple occasions. However, she emphasized that possessing a gun as a convicted felon is illegal and that Bains must learn to live without it. “It’s a crime. You cannot have a gun,” the judge said. “But you are someone who gets shot … you’ve been shot four times. How are you going to manage that? That’s going to be a real challenge.” Before his sentencing, Bains expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the negative impact his incarceration has on his family. “I got seven kids, and they haven’t had the best lifestyle,” he said. “It’s just — you know. It’s sickening.” Bains pleaded guilty in February to possession of a gun by a felon. The guilty plea came after a previous trial ended in a mistrial due to late disclosure of interviews with Johnson, who claimed Bains stole the ‘Trump gun’ from him in 2020. Johnson, testifying before the mistrial was granted, stated that he purchased the gun at Eagle Sporting Range in Oak Forest on July 30, 2020. He explained that he was drawn to its unique Trump markings. “It just stood out to me,” Johnson told the jury, according to court records. “I never seen a gun like it.” Bains’ cousin also testified that the ‘Trump gun’ was well-known within the household. Bains’ attorneys, Steven Greenberg and Curtis Lovelace, argued for leniency, questioning Johnson’s credibility and suggesting that he was a liar and gun trafficker. They pointed to Johnson’s immunity from prosecution despite admitting to selling numerous weapons, including one used to injure a Chicago firefighter. Greenberg and Lovelace also took a subtle jab at former President Trump in their sentencing filing, drawing parallels between the case and Trump’s unfounded claims of a stolen election. “Circling back to the Trump theme of this case, a lie does not become the truth simply because it is repeated (“the election was stolen”),” Greenberg and Lovelace wrote. They expressed concern that the U.S. attorney’s office had “chose to give a scoundrel like Johnson immunity for littering the streets of Chicago with firearms, including at least one that was used to seriously injure a Chicago fireman, and in doing so embraces his lies.”
Chicago Man Sentenced for Possessing ‘Trump Gun’
