Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Seth Bireley, 35, of Fort Wayne, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to theft of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Bireley was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on or about Feb. 24, 2023, and March 2, 2023, Bireley, who had multiple felony convictions, entered a residence and removed firearms and ammunition from the property of a deceased person without authority to do so. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

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.

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