Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SOUTH BEND – Toby Ray Taylor, 36 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Taylor was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Taylor, had an outstanding parole warrant and when he was identified, police attempted to pull over his car. He tried to flee but was apprehended and law enforcement recovered a handgun under the driver’s seat which was loaded, had an extended magazine, and an obliterated serial number. Methamphetamine and marijuana was also discovered in the car. Taylor has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the St. Joseph County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander and former Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.

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.