DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — A Danville man was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison for two separate weapons offenses, one of which happened while he was on probation.

The Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office said Mareyon Edwards, 21, pleaded guilty in court last week to a charge of unlawful possession of a machine gun, which is a Class 2 felony. The judge overseeing the hearing then sentenced Edwards to six years in prison for this crime and a consecutive two years in a separate case that originally resulted in probation.

Court records show that Edwards pleaded guilty in a 2023 case where he was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was given two years of probation starting in November of that year.

But the State’s Attorney’s Office said that in May of this year, Edwards was hurt in a shooting and the investigation found him in possession of a handgun modified with a switch, making it fully automatic.

On May 6, Danville Police responded to Edgewood Drive for a report of a gunshot victim, and surveillance footage recorded Edwards in the area, holding a black gun with an extended magazine and running into a home. When police obtained a search warrant for the home, they found the gun in a backpack.

The gun they found was consistent with the one seen in surveillance footage — a Glock 30 .45 caliber handgun with an extended magazine and an automatic switch. There were 14 rounds in the magazine.

The Illinois State Police crime lab confirmed the gun was fully automatic and that DNA on the grip and magazine belonged to Edwards.

“This defendant, a repeat offender, was found in possession of a machine gun and refused to cooperate with police, after being injured by gunfire,” State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said. “This sentence reflects our commitment to enforcing the law fairly and firmly, especially for the safety of the public.”

After charging Edwards in the 2025 case, Lacy’s office filed to revoke his probation in the 2023 case, and with his guilty plea in the 2025 case, he was resentenced to two years in prison. The 2025 case resulted in an additional six years being added to his time in prison.