Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces a federal grand jury has indicted Leon Askew, age 50, of Colorado Springs, for firearm and ammunition possession by a convicted felon.

According to allegations in the indictment, the defendant possessed a firearm and ammunition on January 31, 2022, while knowing he had previously been convicted of a felony.

The defendant made his initial appearance before Judge N. Reid Neureiter on December 30, 2022.

“We appreciate the dogged determination of our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Marshals Service and the ATF. It took more than six months to track down this individual, and we are relieved he was finally taken into custody without incident,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case. The United States Marshals Service (USMS) took the defendant into custody, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Al Buchman is handling the prosecution.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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.

CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-145