Danville Man Who Shot at House Convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

URBANA, Ill. - A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Alvin Beasley, 36, of Danville, Ill., on September 22, 2021, for possession of a firearm by a felon. Sentencing for Beasley has been scheduled for January 24, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Urbana.

Over two days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that Beasley had possessed a firearm on May 23, 2019. Danville police had responded to a shots fired call that day in the area of the 1000 block of May Street in Danville. A residence had been shot at several times, and a witness saw a car with a distinctive hood flee the scene. Responding officers stopped the car after seeing a gun thrown out of its window. Alvin Beasley and a passenger were located inside. Over the course of the trial, the United States proved to the jury that Beasley had a romantic connection with the occupant of the residence in question.

Beasley testified in his own defense. He admitted on the stand that he shot up the residence that day but maintained that he was not guilty of the offense charged. Instead, he attempted to convince the jury that he had used a different firearm than the one police recovered to do the shooting that day.

Beasley remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. At sentencing, Beasley faces statutory penalties of fifteen years to life imprisonment due to prior convictions.

"This trial shows that the United States Attorney's Office, working closely with our state and local partners, will continue to prosecute those who endanger our community by illegally possessing and using firearms," said Acting United States Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. "A small part of the population is causing the violence problem and targeted prosecutions are an important part of the solution."

The case investigation was conducted by the Danville Police Department, the Vermilion County Sheriff's Office, the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Freres and William Lynch represented the government at trial, with assistance from the Vermilion County State's Attorney's Office.