Terre Haute, IN-(ENEWSPF)- United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced Thursday that a Terre Haute man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm. Andre Jackson, 57, Terre Haute, was sentenced to 210 months (over 17 years) imprisonment by U.S. District Judge William T. Lawrence.
“Protecting our neighborhoods from gun violence is one of the top priorities of my office,” said Minkler. “There is no tolerance for this type of violence and those who choose to violate our laws will be held accountable.”
On May 2, 2015, officers from the Terre Haute Police Department responded to a call of shots fired near Liberty Avenue and North 21st Street. Law enforcement officers arrived in the area and encountered an individual who had been shot in the leg. Other officers encountered Jackson. In a statement to police, Jackson stated he had been in an argument with the man and shot at him with his shotgun to prevent him from entering Jackson’s house. Officers located several spent shells in the yard, however, and they seized a .12-gauge shotgun in a trashcan adjacent to Jackson’s house.
Jackson is not legally permitted to own a firearm because he has more than five felony convictions, including convictions for crimes of violence, and is considered an armed career criminal under federal law. His convictions include residential burglary, two robberies, unlawful use of a weapon, and aggravated vehicular hijacking, all of which were from Cook County, Illinois. He was also convicted of strong-armed robbery in Vigo County for a 2010 incident, and he was on probation for that case at the time of his arrest for this incident.
This case was investigate d by the Terre Haute Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“This individual is a perfect example of why the law, illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, was enacted,” said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “He is a career criminal with a long history of violence and this sentence ensures he is no longer a threat to the community.”
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Lasher who prosecuted this case for the government, Jackson must serve five years of supervised release after his sentence.
Source: DOJ