Chicago Heights Man Gets 10 Years For Illegal Machine Gun

JOLIET, IL — A Chicago Heights man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison on a gun charge stemming from an August 2023 incident.

Gralon Potts, 38, of Chicago Heights, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon, and was sentenced by Will County Circuit Judge Bertani-Tomczak.

On Aug. 12, 2023, University Park police responded to a dispatch for a disturbance at 745 Red Oak Lane involving two vehicles. While on the way there, police were informed that the alleged suspect was wearing a yellow vest and had a handgun.

Responding officers saw a man in a yellow vest walking away from a vehicle. He stopped the man, later identified as Potts, who told the officer he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend, according to Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow. Potts told the officer that she had smashed the windows of his Tahoe and rammed the vehicle with her Nissan.

As the officer walked around the Tahoe, he saw 8 unspent .40 rounds on the ground behind the Tahoe, officials said. He then saw an empty magazine and found a 9 mm Glock with an extended magazine and a switch that made it a fully automatic weapon. The machine gun was loaded with 21 rounds in the magazine and 1 in the chamber. An additional round was found on the front passenger floorboard. Security video showed Potts pointing the weapon at his girlfriend and breaking the doors to her Nissan.

Potts will serve the sentence at 50 percent and will receive 271 days credit. He also will serve 18 months of mandatory supervised release.