Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

HAMMOND- Eric Isom, 24 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Isom was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on January 10, 2021, Isom, was a passenger in vehicle law enforcement attempted to stop in Dyer, Indiana. The vehicle fled, leading officers on a pursuit that crossed into Munster before the vehicle crashed. After the crash, law enforcement recovered a firearm from the vehicle which had Isom’s DNA on it, along with drugs and extended magazines. Isom’s previous criminal history revealed he has prior Illinois felony convictions for Armed Robbery and Aggravated Use of a Weapon, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the Dyer Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.

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.