‘Operation Take Back America:’ 23 illegal guns seized, 11 convicted in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced Monday that they’ve secured prison sentences for 11 convicted felons who illegally possessed firearms.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, 23 unlawfully held guns were removed from the streets of Indianapolis and Evansville between January and February.

Each prosecution stemmed from separate investigations.

“When we remove firearms from people with violent criminal histories, we are preventing future shootings, protecting families, and strengthening the safety of every neighborhood in this district. These convictions send a clear message: if you are a prohibited person and you pick up a gun, federal prison will follow,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Tom Wood said in a release.

According to the release, these cases part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The following people were convicted:

• 33-year-old Lanel Wimberly of Evansville.
• 46-year-old Christopher Jackson of Indianapolis.
• 32-year-old Zachary Daniels of Indianapolis.
• 56-year-old Darrin Powell of Evansville.
• 21-year-old James Montgomery Jr. of Indianapolis.
• 32-year-old Anthony Bricest of Jeffersonville.
• 31-year-old Jake Fucks of Evansville.
• 27-year-old Antonio Harrell of Evansville.
• 24-year-old Cornelius Cooper III of Carlisle.
• 40-year-old Samuel Paige of Indianapolis.
• 45-year-old Thomas Kirsch of Reed, Ky.