Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Armed, Drug-Dealing Felon Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison
INDIANAPOLIS- Eugene Theard, 45, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing five firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, on May 11, 2021, Eugene Theard became a target of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation after he sold 221 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine to another individual for $2,300.
On June 3, 2021, Theard made a deal to sell another 111 grams of methamphetamine for $1,400. At the time of this transaction, Theard was on parole for domestic battery and failure to return to lawful detention. Following the June 3 drug deal, parole agents with the Indiana Department of Correction conducted a compliance visit at Theard’s motel room in Indianapolis. The parole agents found 382 grams of methamphetamine and five firearms. Theard admitted to DEA agents that he intended to sell the drugs and possessed the guns to protect his drugs and profits.
Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
“Armed trafficking of deadly drugs drives violence and fuels substance use disorders,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “These crimes are even more unacceptable when committed by a felon who is still on parole, and clearly has not learned his lesson. I commend the outstanding work of the DEA, IMPD, ATF, and IDOC to take deadly drugs, deadly weapons, and another dangerous trafficker off our streets.”
DEA investigated this case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Indiana Department of Correction provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S District Court Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Theard be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 4 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
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.