Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SOUTH BEND -- Valo Neely, 48, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Neely was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on February 8, 2022, in South Bend, Indiana, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Neely’s residence and recovered four firearms that he possessed. Neely’s criminal history revealed he had previously been convicted of a felony, in fact, several felonies which include unarmed robbery, possession of controlled substances, and illegal possession of a firearm, as such, Neely was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel R. Gabrielse.

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.