Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Danville, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon as an Armed Career Criminal
URBANA, Ill. – A Danville, Illinois, man, Alvin Beasley, 38, was sentenced today to 300 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, after being convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon following a jury trial in September 2021.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, the government highlighted evidence that Beasley did not just possess a firearm, he discharged several shots at his pregnant girlfriend’s Danville home during a drive-by shooting while she was inside the residence. Beasley was on parole for a second-degree murder conviction at the time. In addition, the government pointed to jailhouse phone calls made after the shooting where Beasley said he “just snap[s] out for no reason” and wants to “hurt people.” Beasley also explained during another call that he was tired of dealing drugs and “just want[ed] to kill people.”
Judge Bruce found that Beasley qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his prior state convictions for armed robbery, aggravated battery, and second-degree murder. That determination raised Beasley’s statutory penalties to fifteen years to life imprisonment.
Judge Bruce further noted that the facts of Beasley’s case were serious and troubling and stated that Beasley attempted to obstruct justice with his testimony at trial. Specifically, after hearing the evidence against him, Beasley took the stand and admitted that he shot at his pregnant girlfriend’s residence, but tried to claim that he did so with a different gun than the one he was charged with possessing. The jury rejected his testimony and found him guilty.
“Gun violence has no place in our communities, said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to protect our communities and ensure those who engage in gun violence are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Danville Police Department, the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office, the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, the Illinois State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Freres and William Lynch represented the United States in this prosecution.