On November 1, 2023, Tyjuan Watkins, formerly of Danville, Illinois, plead guilty and was sentenced by the Honorable Derek Girton to 8 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by Felon, a class 2 felony. Watkins must serve a term of one year of mandatory supervised release following his incarceration. The Court heard evidence that on July 31, 2023, an officer from the Danville Police Department conducted a traffic stop for speeding. The officer noticed an odor of cannabis when he approached the vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently searched as were the occupants. Watkins was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to be in possession of ammunition, which was located in his pocket. During the search of the vehicle two bags were found in the trunk and Watkins stated to police that the bags were his. Inside the bags, officers located two rifles, one with the serial number defaced, magazines, ammunition, and other firearm accessories. State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy thanked the Danville Police Department for their work in removing illegal firearms from the hands of criminals. “My office will continue to work with law enforcement to put a stop to felons unlawfully possessing guns.”