GOP Senate Candidate Facing Multiple Felony Charges
Republican Senate candidate Juan Reyes (R) campaigning for the 34th District in 2022. (Photo: WNIJ Radio)
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A Republican candidate for State Senate in the Rockford area is facing felony gun and forgery charges in connection with allegations he falsely signed concealed carry training certificates with the state when training hadn’t been completed.
Juan Reyes of Rockford was also arrested for possession of a loaded handgun with a suspended FOID and concealed carry license.
Four days before he filed petitions for his campaign for Senate, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged Reyes with falsifying training certificates required to obtain a concealed carry license.
Reyes, a concealed carry instructor in Illinois, is accused of falsifying certificates that claimed Concealed Carry License (CCL) applicants had completed legally-mandated concealed carry training when they had not.
He is charged with forgery, a felony with a penalty of up to three years in prison. He was also charged with unlawful violation of the Concealed Carry Act, a misdemeanor.
"Concealed Carry License training requirements are explicit, not discretionary, and are there for a reason," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said when charges were filed. "ISP will not tolerate anyone trying to skirt training requirements and will rigorously investigate any allegations of impropriety."
Reyes is also facing further criminal trouble in Rockford.
In early November, Reyes was stopped for an illegal tint in his car window and failure to use a turn signal. He admitted there was a loaded handgun in the center console of his vehicle, and police found his FOID and CCL is suspended.
The Winnebago County State’s Attorney charged Reyes with felony Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon for carrying a loaded handgun without a valid FOID card. He was also charged with “Possession of a Firearm Without Requisite FOID,” a misdemeanor.
Reyes is a former Rockford Park District Ranger, who was fired in 2002 for sexual harassment and evidence-planting allegations. He was accused of printing a sexually explicit picture at work and sharing it with female park district employees.
He sued the Park District claiming his firing was racially motivated, but a federal judge threw out the suit in 2005.
Reyes did not respond to messages from The Illinoize Thursday.
Reyes was the GOP nominee against Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Caledonia) in 2022, losing the race 59%-41%.
The Senate Republican campaign arm, who is backing Reyes’ primary opponent, Rock Valley College trustee Crystal Soltow, did not respond to a request for comment.
But some area Republicans are calling Reyes an “embarrassment.”
“He’s an embarrassment to the local party,” a local Republican insider said. “[These are] serious background issues that disqualify him from being a serious candidate for office.”
It does not appear like Reyes will be on the ballot much longer, though. The Illinoize reviewed his petitions Thursday and found he filed 617 total signatures, without checking duplicates or the validity of any signatures.
A Senate candidate was required to file between 1,000 and 3,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Petition challenges can’t be filed until next week, but it seems likely Reyes is bound to be removed from the ballot.