HAMMOND- Markeese Deshon Thomas, 29 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Thomas was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on October 31, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on I-90 in Hammond, Indiana for speeding. During the stop officers smelled marijuana, noted the occupants acted nervous and did not have identification. Thomas, provided a fake name and date of birth while also making sudden movements. After the occupants were removed from the vehicle, a search resulted in the recovery of two loaded semi-automatic pistols and marijuana. Thomas admitted to possessing the firearms. His criminal history revealed that he has three prior felony convictions for illegally possessing firearms, and as such, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Response Investigative Team and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
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.