A Moline felon out on parole was arrested early Friday morning on weapons charges.
At just before 4:00 a.m. officers conducted a traffic stop in the 1000-block of North Henderson Street. Galesburg police officers asked for identification for both the driver and passenger in the vehicle.
The passenger, later identified as 40-year-old Brian O. Lear, told officers he did not have identification, but gave his information to police.
They discovered that Lear was out on mandatory supervised release. Because of that, officers told him he had to be searched.
According to police reports, he informed officers he had a knife in his sock – which was a violation of the terms of his release. A 3 1/4 inch knife was found in his right sock. No other contraband was found on him.
Lear told officers he was not aware that having a knife was a violation of his parole.
Further investigation lead officers to discover he had a criminal history that included convictions on felony charges, making him a felon with a weapon.
He was taken to the Knox County Jail and charged with Class 3 Felonies of being a felon in possession of a weapon, and for violating his parole.
Online court records out of Rock Island County indicate that Lear had been in and out of the court system for over the last 20 years.
He had been convicted previously of transporting Anhydrous Ammonia, methamphetamine possession, domestic battery, aggravated battery with a weapon, felon in possession of a weapon, and burglary.
