Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

HAMMOND- Antonio Joel Ortiz, 25 years old, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Ortiz was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on August 1, 2022, Ortiz possessed a loaded firearm while committing a theft.  Law enforcement successfully recovered the firearm Ortiz had thrown over a gate when he saw police as well as the loaded magazine. Ortiz’s criminal history revealed he has prior felony convictions for criminal recklessness and burglary, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Hammond Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay.      

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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