Crime & Safety

Gun Possession, Theft Charges for Milwaukee Man

Caledonia police say a Milwaukee man stole two handguns from the home of his girlfriend's brother on New Year's Eve.

A Milwaukee man visiting his girlfriend's brother on New Year's Eve is accused of stealing two guns from the residence.

Eduardo Lawless, 36, was charged Friday in Racine County Circuit Court with two felony counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of felony theft (special facts). If convicted of all charges, he faces up to 32 years in prison and/or up to $70,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, Caledonia Police responded to a call on Jan. 7 to a residence in the 1000 block of 4-Mile Road for a report of stolen firearms. When officers arrived, a man and woman told them they'd received a call from the man's sister asking them for $500 because her boyfriend - Lawless - was in custody in Milwaukee for having a gun.

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When the man and woman checked the location of where they keep two handguns, the guns were missing so they called police. Officers say the man and woman said Lawless knew where the firearms were located because he and the man had gone shooting together.

Police ran a check and discovered a report from Jan. 3 when Milwaukee police responded to a call for shots fired in the 1400 block of N. 39th Street. MPD officers made contact with residents in the area and discovered a gun hidden in the bathroom of a home where Lawless was present, the complaint reads.

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The serial number of the gun found in Milwaukee matched the serial number the woman provided to police, reports indicate, and a local sporting goods store confirmed she purchased it there in 2010.

A warrant was issued for Lawless and the man who was later identified as Derrick Burns. The warrant for Lawless was cancelled when he made his initial appearance Friday, and he is out of jail on a $2,500 cash bond.

Lawless will make his next court appearance at 9 a.m. on Feb. 28 for a preliminary hearing, but the warrant for Burns remains active because he, too, is a convicted felon and it is illegal for him to possess firearms.Β 


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