7 sentenced to federal prison for alleged roles in firearms theft, trafficking conspiracy

INDIANAPOLIS — Federal authorities announced multiple arrests following a federal investigation into a firearms theft and trafficking conspiracy in the Circle City.

According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana, seven individuals have been sentenced to federal prison on multiple felony charges.

• 27-year-old Zackary Doss: Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
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  Doss was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison with three years of supervised release.
• 37-year-old Dominique Ellison: Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Eliison was sentenced to 1.5 years with three years of supervised release.
• 33-year-old Antonio Grant: Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Grant was sentenced to three years of probation.
• 30-year-old Ryan Hurt: Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms, Possession of Stolen Firearms. Hurt was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison with three years of supervised release.
• 23-year-old Kevin Jones Jr.: Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms, Possession or Sale of Stolen Firearms. Jones Jr. was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison with three years of supervised release.
• 32-year-old Malyk Mendez: Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms. Mendez was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison with one year of supervised release.
• 33-year-old Bruce Williams: Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Williams was sentenced to nine years with three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Bruce Williams and Ryan Hurt led a scheme to steal firearms and sell them for additional profit while working at a shipping facility based in Indianapolis.

Investigators claim Williams and Hurt, in collaboration with the other listed accomplices, sold firearms to numerous individuals. Investigators estimate that between January and March 2022, the scheme resulted in 240 firearms being stolen from four separate shipments intended to arrive in other states.

Authorities became aware of a possible conspiracy when they reportedly observed several firearms being sent through the Indianapolis terminal that were missing “key inventory.”

Williams and Hurt opted to keep some of the stolen firearms for themselves. At the same time, they worked with the other individuals to find people interested in purchasing the remaining firearms, the release said.

The list of stolen firearms included:

• 9 mm semi-automatic handguns (174)
• .38 caliber revolvers (13)
• .22 caliber revolvers (2)
• .45 caliber semi-automatic handguns (38)
• semi-automatic rifles (5)
• 10mm semi-automatic handguns (8)

As of May 5, authorities have recovered 61 out of the 240 stolen firearms. This includes five firearms that authorities seized from Williams and Hurt. Other firearms were recovered in Lafayette, Gary, Chicago, Florida and Oklahoma.

“Stolen firearms are a major source of crime guns for violent offenders and pose a serious threat to public safety,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we’re committed to stopping gun traffickers, recovering stolen weapons, and keeping them out of the hands of dangerous individuals.”