Local Man Arrested on Firearms Charges

A local man has been arrested on firearms charges.

After an investigation into an incident that occurred on September 12, Effingham Police Department has arrested 41-year-old Joshua Robert Verdeyen on a Class 3 felony charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and a Class 4 felony charge of reckless discharge of a firearm. Police say Verdeyen is currently on US federal parole for separate firearms-related convictions and is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.

Just after 10:30pm on Thursday, September 12, multiple reports were made to city police that shots were fired in the area of St. Anthony Avenue and North Merchant Street in Effingham. After an investigation was conducted, multiple witnesses identified a subject in possession of a firearm immediately after the shots were fired. 

Effingham police, with assistance from the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System Special Weapons and Tactics Team and the Effingham County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant on a residence in the 400 block of St. Anthony Avenue at about 9am Tuesday. Physical evidence related to the crime was recovered at the scene and officers took Verdeyen into custody for the arrest warrant charges. Verdeyen was booked into Effingham County Jail where bond is set at $75,000.

Effingham Police Chief Jason McFarland praised what he called the "teamwork" displayed by the various law enforcement agencies, saying "Effingham Police conducted a high-risk search warrant today involving known weapons; everything went as planned due to the level of professionalism displayed by all the agencies working together as a team toward the common goal of protecting our community from harm and danger. Effingham Police will continue to utilize all available resources to protect our citizens. Criminal behavior such as this, involving firearms discharged in a neighborhood, will not be tolerated. Our sincerest appreciation goes out to the ILEAS SWAT Team and Effingham County Sheriff's Department for working with us to make this arrest."