Federal Firearms Prosecutions Result in 11 Convictions, 23 Guns Recovered

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana has secured prison sentences for eleven convicted felons who illegally possessed firearms, removing twenty-three unlawfully held guns from the streets of Indianapolis and Evansville. Each prosecution stemmed from a separate investigation and was individually resolved in January and February 2026.

As part of these investigations, the following firearms were seized and forfeited by law enforcement:

• Smith & Wesson SD40
• Canik 9 mm semiautomatic pistol
• Glock model 30 .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol
• Del-Ton Sport rifle
• Mossberg International 715T .22 long rifle
• Mossberg Maverick Model 88 12-gauge shotgun
• (2) Century Arms, Micro Draco, one with extended magazine
• Springfield Armory 9mm pistol
• Rossi RS22 rifle
• Mossberg 500A shotgun
• Eagle Arms EA-15 rifle
• (2) 9mm Glock semiautomatic pistols, one with extended magazine
• Freedom Ordinance, FX-9, 9mm pistol
• Smith and Wesson, 9mm semiautomatic
• Taurus, Model G2C, 9mm semi-automatic
• Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine (stolen)
• Lorcin 9 mm handgun
• Sig Sauer P320 handgun
• Sig Sauer P365 handgun
• SCCY CPX-1 handgun
• Taurus G3 9mm handgun
• Assorted ammunition and magazines

According to federal law, individuals with prior felony convictions are prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.

"Felons who illegally arm themselves are far more likely to use those guns to hurt someone or to escalate everyday conflicts into deadly violence," said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI Indianapolis, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Forest Service, Indiana State Police, IMPD, and the Evansville Police Department investigated these cases. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judges Matthew P. Brookman, Tanya Walton Pratt, Richard L. Young, Sarah Evans Barker, and Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Kemper, Kelsey Massa, Pamela Domash, Nate Walter, Todd Shellenbarger, and Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted these cases.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)