Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Brandishing Machine Gun in Social Media Livestream

A Richmond man was sentenced to four years in federal prison after live streaming possession of a machine gun.Photo byThomas TuckeronUnsplash

A Richmond man was sentenced to four years in federal prison for possession of a machinegun after brandishing the weapon during a social media livestream, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today.

Perry Ike Mason, 29, was sentenced after an incident that took place on April 7, 2023, during which he displayed a .40 caliber handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD) in a livestream, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The firearm was also outfitted with a weapon-mounted laser and an extended magazine, says the office.

Detectives from the Richmond Police Department (RPD) viewed the livestream and identified Mason, who had an outstanding arrest warrant from Chesterfield County for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a charge stemming from August 2022.

Court documents state that following the initial livestream, Mason posted another video brandishing the same firearm.

Detectives located Mason at a restaurant in Chesterfield Towne Center and followed him to a residence on Kimrod Road in Richmond, says the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

After Mason exited the vehicle and went to a shed behind the residence, officers arrested him on the outstanding warrant.

During the arrest, officers searched the shed and discovered the firearm Mason had displayed in the livestream.

The weapon was still equipped with the extended magazine, laser, and MCD, and was loaded with 31 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, according to court documents.

The machinegun conversion device rendered the semi-automatic firearm capable of fully automatic fire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.