Zai’Vohn Perry, a 25-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, has been sentenced to 101 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges related to firearm possession and drug trafficking. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty.
According to Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor, “Perry was sentenced on Count 2 of the Indictment to 41 months in prison and on Count 5 to 60 months in prison, those terms to run consecutively. He was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release on Counts 2 and 5, those terms to run concurrently.”
Court documents state that in January 2024, Perry was involved in two separate gunfights in residential areas of South Bend. In the first incident, he fired 17 rounds during a mid-afternoon exchange of gunfire. A week later, he participated in another shooting during daylight hours. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered two firearms—one identified as being used in both shootings—as well as more than 100 fentanyl pills and marijuana packaged for distribution.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with support from the South Bend Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through coordinated efforts between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The Department of Justice updated its strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
