United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana
07/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/09/2026 13:48
Four Months of Operation Take Back America Yield 23 Felons Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of Firearms
INDIANAPOLIS- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana has secured prison sentences for 23 convicted felons who illegally possessed firearms, removing 37 unlawfully held guns and four extended magazines from the streets of Indianapolis and Evansville.
Each defendant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Additionally, Andy Manuel Seda-Colon was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer. Each prosecution stemmed from a separate investigation and was individually resolved between March and June of 2026.
| DEFENDANT | SENTENCE | PRIOR CONVICTIONS |
| Dennis Birts. 29, Indianapolis | 7 years, 5 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Criminal recklessness; Receiving stolen property; Unlawful possession of a firearm; Carrying a handgun without a license; Unlawful carrying of a handgun x2 |
| Travis Brown, 20, Indianapolis | 3 years, 5 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Armed robbery |
| Kyle Castner, 24, Indianapolis |
5 years' imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
Attempted armed robbery; Armed robbery; Burglary; Escape |
| Michael Durant, 44, Indianapolis | 9 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Dealing in cocaine; Possession of a narcotic drug; Dealing in a narcotic drug |
| Joshua Eldridge, 42, Indianapolis | 3.5 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Possession of methamphetamine; Robbery; Unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon |
| Jeffery Hill, 48, Indianapolis | 3 years, 2 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Aggravated battery |
| Jamar Johnson, 22, Indianapolis | 8 years, 1 month imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Robbery |
| Steven Lane, 46, Anderson | 8 years, 4 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Dealing in methamphetamine x2; Burglary resulting in bodily injury; Burglary |
| Marcos Guillermo Leon Murrieta, 26, Muncie | 3 years, 2 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine |
| Dayquion Marlin, 27, Indianapolis | 3 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Armed robbery; Auto theft; Carrying a handgun without a license |
| Kishawn Morris, 23, Indianapolis | 3.5 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Armed robbery and resisting law enforcement |
| Andy Manuel Seda-Colon, 28, Indianapolis | 2 years, 9 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Invasion of privacy & domestic battery |
| Kylan Oliver, 29, Indianapolis | 3 years, 10 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Burglary; Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon |
| Robert Reed, 51, Indianapolis | 4.5 years' imprisonment; 2 years of supervised release | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin; Kidnapping; Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug; Theft; Receiving stolen property |
| Cody Brodrick Schmitt, 34, Mt. Vernon | 11 years, 5 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Robbery & dealing in methamphetamine |
| Edward Cortez Sharp, 45, Evansville | 8 years, 4 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Dealing in methamphetamine (2 counts) & forgery |
| David Sneed, 31, Indianapolis | 3 years, 1 month' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Armed robbery & felon in possession of ammunition |
| Daron Torrence, 46, Indianapolis | 3 years, 10 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Dealing in methamphetamine; Dealing in cocaine; Possession of a narcotic drug |
| Jason Vredenburg, 39, Indianapolis | 3 years, 4 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Indecent liberties with a child; Possession of a weapon by a prisoner; Possession of a firearm by a felon; Obtaining property by false pretenses |
| Jeffery Ware, 39, Indianapolis | 5 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Dealing in cocaine & dealing in marijuana |
| Tyron Whitson Jr., 30, Indianapolis | 7 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Dealing in a narcotic drug and attempted robbery |
| Ernest Williamson Jr., 34, Louisville | 10 years' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Felon in possession of a handgun; Trafficking a controlled substance; Complicity to trafficking a controlled substance |
| Sean Wright, 29, Indianapolis | 3 years, 4 months' imprisonment; 3 years of supervised release | Felon in possession of ammunition; Battery by means of a deadly weapon; Dealing methamphetamine |
According to federal law, individuals with prior felony convictions are prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. As part of these investigations, the following firearms were seized and forfeited by law enforcement:
- Accu-Tek .380 semiautomatic handgun
- Anderson AR-15 rifle
- Davis Industries .380 caliber handgun
- Diamondback Arms 8mm handgun
- Gem pistol
- Glock .45 handgun
- Glock 17 handgun
- Glock 19 9mm handgun (x2)
- Glock 21 .45 semiautomatic pistol
- Glock 22 handgun
- Glock 22 .40 semiautomatic w/ extended magazine
- Glock 27 handgun w/ extended magazine
- Glock 32 handgun w/ extended magazine
- Glock 32 GEN4 semiautomatic pistol
- Glock 47
- Glock semiautomatic pistol (unspecified) (x2)
- Hi-Point 9mm pistol
- Hi-Point C9 pistol
- Hi-Point JHP .45 semiautomatic pistol
- Maverick Arms 88 shotgun
- Molot VEPR shotgun
- Mossberg 500 shotgun
- Regent pistol
- Rough Rider revolver
- SCCY handgun w/ extended magazine
- Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun (stolen)
- Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol
- Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum
- Springfield XD40 .40 semiautomatic handgun
- Taurus .38 Special revolver
- Taurus G2C 9mm
- Taurus The Judge revolver
- Taurus Ultra-Lite .38 Special revolver
- Western Long-Range shotgun
- Zastava semiautomatic pistol
The following agencies investigated or assisted in investigating these cases:
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Federal Bureau of Investigation- Indianapolis
- U.S. Marshals Service
- U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force
- Great Lakes Task Force
- Indiana State Police
- Hamilton County Sheriff's Office
- Hancock County Sheriff's Office
- Posey County Sheriff's Office
- Beech Grove Police Department
- Evansville Police Department
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
- New Albany Police Department
- Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Glickman, Kelsey Massa, Nate Walter, Jayson McGrath, Jeremy Kemper, Matt Barloh, Michelle Brady, Zachary Yauger, Pamela Domash, Peter Blackett, Patrick Gibson, and Todd Shellenbarger who prosecuted these cases.
These cases are 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The prosecution of Andy Manuel Seda-Colon was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
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United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana published this content on July 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 09, 2026 at 19:48 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]