Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

FORT WAYNE – Remon D. Phillips, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after being found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Phillips was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.

A jury found Phillips guilty of the firearm offense following his three-day jury trial in October 2022. According to documents in the case, Phillips was a passenger in a vehicle a Fort Wayne Police Officer attempted to pull over on February 20, 2022. The driver alluded police and led them on a short pursuit. During the pursuit, Phillips was observed as he leaned out of the rear window of the car while pointing a handgun at the officer who was attempting to stop the car. Later in the pursuit, Phillips tossed the handgun which police ultimately recovered. The firearm, a Taurus 9mm handgun, contained an extended (30 round) magazine. Phillips’ criminal history revealed he has nine prior felony convictions and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

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.