Armon Shannon, a 25-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, has been sentenced to 82 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. The sentencing took place before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after Shannon was found guilty by a jury of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Court documents indicate that the incident occurred when Shannon fled from police officers in the parking lot of a gas station in South Bend. After apprehending him, officers discovered a loaded handgun on the ground along his escape route. Shannon has multiple prior felony convictions, including two previous federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. These prior convictions prohibit him from legally possessing firearms.
Acting U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor stated, “Shannon had already been convicted in federal court twice for illegally possessing a firearm. Evidently, neither conviction convinced him that he should give up on carrying guns. Thanks to the strong effort of our partner agencies and the excellent work of our trial attorneys, he will have 82 months to learn the lesson that he failed to take on the first two times he went to federal prison. Our office always tirelessly pursues such repeat offenders.”
Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon commented on the collaboration between law enforcement agencies: “ATF is proud to work with the South Bend Police Department to take convicted felons who unlawfully possess firearms off our streets. The sentence handed down in this case reflects the seriousness of the conduct and reinforces that repeat violations of the law will be met with significant prison time.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with support from the South Bend Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Acting Criminal Division Chief Joseph P. Falvey prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through coordinated efforts among various levels of law enforcement and community organizations.
