The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced on Mar. 16 that eleven convicted felons have been sentenced to prison for illegally possessing firearms, resulting in the removal of twenty-three unlawfully held guns from Indianapolis and Evansville.
These prosecutions are significant because federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from legally possessing firearms. The enforcement actions aim to reduce gun violence and enhance public safety by targeting those most likely to commit violent crimes.
Each case stemmed from a separate investigation and was resolved individually in January and February. Sentences ranged from just over two years to nearly twelve years in prison, with additional supervised release periods imposed. The defendants had prior convictions including robbery, battery, drug offenses, burglary, theft, and other serious crimes. Among the firearms seized were pistols, rifles, shotguns, and assorted ammunition.
U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler said, “Felons who illegally arm themselves are far more likely to use those guns to hurt someone or to escalate everyday conflicts into deadly violence. When we remove firearms from people with violent criminal histories, we are preventing future shootings, protecting families, and strengthening the safety of every neighborhood in this district. These convictions send a clear message: if you are a prohibited person and you pick up a gun, federal prison will follow.”
The investigations involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI Indianapolis; Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Forest Service; Indiana State Police; Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department; and Evansville Police Department. Sentences were handed down by several U.S. District Court judges.
Wheeler also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Kemper, Kelsey Massa, Pamela Domash, Nate Walter, Todd Shellenbarger, and Lauren Wheatley for prosecuting these cases.
These efforts are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative that brings together resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to combat illegal immigration-related crime as well as cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
