Felon Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Possessing Ammunition

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Tyrone Kenneth Smith, Jr., age 29 of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. In imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker noted that it was "miraculous that no one was seriously hurt . . . [or] killed" when Smith fired off a semiautomatic weapon with a high-capacity magazine in a crowded venue.

U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, "We chose Smith for federal prosecution on this firearms charge because he has repeatedly refused to abide by laws that say he cannot have a firearm. After being convicted no fewer than four times for felony firearms offenses in the State of Michigan, he went out and got himself yet another gun, then took it to a crowded public gathering and fired it off. Through his actions, Smith has told us all that he is a menace to the rest of us, and he cannot be rehabilitated. He deserves the sentence he got today, and we will be watching him when he is eventually allowed out of prison."

On June 22, 2205, a large group of young people gathered on the Blue Bridge in downtown Grand Rapids. Smith was there and pulled a gun from his waistband and fired four rounds, causing everyone to flee the bridge. Surveillance video at the bridge captured the incident; Smith is circled in the image below and a muzzle flash is also visible.

The firearm was recovered and was a Polymer P80 pistol with an extended magazine, these privately made firearms are called "ghost guns" because they do not have serial numbers and are therefore difficult to track.[1] Four shots were fired on the bridge and the extended magazine was loaded with an additional 22 live rounds when it was recovered by police later that night.

"When a convicted felon chooses to unlawfully possess ammunition and a firearm in an attempt to spread fear and cause panic, they should expect swift justice and the full weight of federal law," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "The defendant's actions endangered lives and threatened public safety in a place where visitors deserve peace. I commend the excellent investigative work of our FBI Grand Rapids Resident Agency, alongside the Grand Rapids Police Department, whose partnership uncovered critical evidence leading to the defendant's arrest."

"Grand Rapids Police Department appreciates the partnership between local law enforcement, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office to address violent crime, and especially gun violence, in our community," said Interim GRPD Chief Joe Trigg. "Every offender that faces accountability means a safer community for us all."

The FBI and the Grand Rapids Police Department investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis M. Sanford prosecuted it.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.