Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

EVANSVILLE- Reko D. Levels Jr., 26, of Evansville, was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, on September 20, 2021, Levels was wanted on an active felony warrant in an unrelated state case. Evansville Police Department Officers arrested Levels while he was sitting outside his Evansville apartment complex. Officers initiated a search and found a loaded 9mm pistol in Levels’ right pant pocket. The pistol had been reported as stolen on September 4, 2021.

In an interview with law enforcement officers on September 23, 2021, Levels admitted that he knew the gun was stolen and that he intended to return it to the lawful owner but was arrested before he had the chance to do so. 

At the time of his arrest, Levels had been previously convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida for stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, aiding and abetting, and possession of a firearm while under indictment in another case. Levels was also convicted of Criminal Recklessness in Vanderburgh County in 2018.

“This defendant has continued to unlawfully arm himself, undeterred by even a prior federal gun crime conviction,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Repeat armed criminals drive the violence on our streets and holding them accountable will make our communities safer. The U.S. Attorneys Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from armed criminals.”

“ATF and the Evansville Police Department work side by side, day in and out, to investigate and arrest those responsible for violence in our community,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge for ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “Levels has demonstrated, through his history of stealing firearms and then possessing firearms as a convicted felon, that he poses a threat to public safety that we are all working to end.”

ATF investigated the case with the valuable assistance of the Evansville Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Levels be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 1 year following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanks Assistant United States Attorney, Matthew B. Miller 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.