Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

INDIANAPOLIS- Corey Bussell, 42 of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, on May 8, 2021, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were alerted to shots fired at a residence on Guilford Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana. Victim 1 explained to detectives that she was visiting Bussell’s wife at their home when Bussell came down the stairs with a gun in his hand. Bussell pulled the slide back on the firearm and told Victim 1 to “get the f*** out of my house.” As Victim 1 left the house, Bussell followed her outside and fired the gun into the ground next to the steps of the front porch. Victim 1 stated that Bussell continued to threaten her, claiming that he would “pop” her with the firearm if she did not leave.

IMPD officers recovered one spent shell casing right outside the porch steps of Bussell’s residence. On May 13, 2021, officers initiated a traffic stop on Bussell near Guilford Avenue. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a fully loaded Glock handgun with an extended magazine inserted. The weapon had been reported stolen on March 13, 2021. On that same day, IMPD SWAT officers executed a search warrant at Bussell’s residence where they found 57.4 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, 5.39 grams of cocaine, and marijuana in a backpack.

Bussell’s multiple previous felony convictions for resisting law enforcement, possession of narcotics, robbery, alteration of handgun identification markers, carrying a handgun without a license, dealing in a sawed-off shotgun, and three convictions for illegal possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon prohibit him from ever possessing a firearm.

Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division, and Randal Taylor, Chief of IMPD made the announcement.

“This defendant poses an extreme danger to our community, as shown by his lengthy criminal history and willingness to engage in gun violence,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Not only did he use a firearm to threaten an innocent woman, but he was also responsible for pushing deadly poisons into our communities. We are grateful to our exceptional partners at IMPD and ATF for ensuring that this defendant is behind bars and unable to threaten or harm another individual.”

IMPD and ATF investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Chief Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Bussell be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 4 years following his release from Federal Prison and be subject to a $500 fine.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle P. Brady and Samantha Spiro, 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.