Merrillville Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

HAMMOND - Yesterday, Frank Washington III, 37 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Moody after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Washington was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Washington, who has multiple prior robbery convictions, was arrested in possession of a stolen firearm loaded with ammunition in Gary in February 2025. On multiple occasions in February 2025, Washington drove around with the firearm in a holster on his waist.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Gary Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.