Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

INDIANAPOLIS – Kendrick Hoggan, 27, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on February 9, 2021, an officer with the Kokomo Police Department (KPD) stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction near the intersection of North and Indiana Streets in Kokomo, Indiana. The officer smelled marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and asked the occupants of the vehicle to exit. Hoggan exited from the front passenger seat and began running. Another officer attempted to stop Hoggan by grabbing his jacket and sweatshirt. The jacket and sweatshirt slid off Hoggan and he continued running.

A KPD officer caught up with Hoggan a short time later. Hoggan resisted by kicking the officer and damaged the officer’s lapel radio microphone. The officer was eventually able to secure Hoggan in handcuffs. A .357 caliber handgun that slid out of Hoggan’s jacket while he was running was recovered by police. Officers searched Hoggan’s person and his jacket finding multiple cell phones, U.S. currency and a user quantity of methamphetamine.

Hoggan has multiple prior felonies in state court, including convictions for robbery and alteration of a handgun’s identifying marks. Hoggan committed the February 2021 offense while serving a criminal sentence for robbery. Hoggan is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms due to his prior felony convictions.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Columbus Field Division, made the announcement.

ATF investigated the case in conjunction with the Kokomo Police Department. Sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney ordered that Hoggan be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton 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.