Franklin Raul Jones, 50, of Chicago, faces charges in Porter County after officers reported finding fentanyl, multiple handguns, and a stolen firearm during a November 30, 2025, traffic stop in Valparaiso, according to court documents.
Around 1:40 PM, a Valparaiso officer traveling westbound on U.S. 30 saw an SUV with Missouri plates driving about ten miles over the posted 45-mph speed limit. As the SUV approached U.S. 30 and Horse Prairie Avenue, the officer activated emergency lights. The vehicle stopped in the Burger King parking lot, according to the affidavit.
The officer reported the SUV was occupied by a female driver and front-seat passenger Franklin Jones. The driver provided identification, while Jones claimed he was licensed in Illinois but did not have his ID with him. The officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle.
The female driver admitted she had a small amount of marijuana and a handgun. Additional officers arrived, and Jones stepped out of the SUV, consenting to a search of his person, which revealed no contraband. Officers then searched the purse inside the vehicle and found a Ruger 9mm handgun and a small baggie of marijuana.
On the front passenger floorboard, officers located a locked book bag neither occupant claimed. Inside, they found:
• A Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm handgun, later confirmed stolen out of Tennessee
• A Taurus G3C 9mm handgun
• Two baggies containing 125 multi-colored pills
• Pills that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl, weighing a combined 56.98 grams
• A handwritten receipt with the name “Franklin Jones
Charges Filed December 3, 2025
• Dealing in a Narcotic Drug (Fentanyl) — Level 2 Felony
• Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun — Level 5 Felony
• Theft (Stolen Firearm) — Level 5 Felony
Jones was booked into the Porter County Jail.