A 16-year-old from Greenfield is facing adult charges after police say they seized two firearms that investigators linked to social media posts. Authorities say the decision to move the case into adult court comes after months of supervision and earlier run-ins with the justice system. The teen is being held at a regional juvenile facility while the case moves forward, and prosecutors filed the matter in Hancock County Circuit Court this week.
According to reporting by the Greenfield Reporter, prosecutors charged Avion Ervin on June 23 with two Level 5 felony counts of dangerous possession of a firearm. The county opened the case in circuit court, and a judge set a $10,000 cash bond at a June 25 hearing. The outlet reports that Ervin, 16 and from Greenfield, is being held in the Johnson County juvenile detention center while the case proceeds, and court documents list additional pending charges.
Investigators followed online leads
Law enforcement officials say detectives began building the case after spotting Instagram videos that showed handguns and rifles. Investigators then used those posts to establish probable cause for a search. The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, a multi-agency unit that coordinates firearms investigations across central Indiana, has leaned on similar social media leads in recent operations, according to WRTV.
What officers say they recovered
Court affidavits cited by the Greenfield Reporter state that investigators reviewed a June 18 video showing a male later identified as Ervin holding a Glock-type handgun with an extended magazine. A vehicle search at the Rambling Road address where he was staying allegedly turned up a Glock 20 with a tan grip and extended magazine, a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 pistol, and live rounds. The filings also allege Ervin had been placed on home detention on March 26 and that a June 21 video appeared to show him trying to cut or remove a GPS monitoring device.
Why prosecutors can file juvenile cases in adult court
Indiana law permits certain felony charges against 16- and 17-year-olds to be filed directly in adult court, and firearm-related offenses are often the trigger for that move. In its 2025 annual report, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute found that firearm-related offenses made up roughly one third of cases directly filed into adult court in the last fiscal year, according to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
What's next
A pretrial conference is set for July 23, and the case remains pending in Hancock County Circuit Court. The teen remains in detention while prosecutors and defense counsel prepare for the hearing. Court records will determine whether the case continues in adult criminal court or is transferred back to juvenile jurisdiction.
