Gary Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Possessing Unregistered Machinegun

HAMMOND – Cesar Aguirre, 20 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possession of an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Cesar Aguirre was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on January 29, 2025, in Gary, Indiana, when police arrested Cesar Aguirre in a high school for commission of an armed robbery weeks earlier, Aguirre had in his possession a loaded semi-automatic pistol outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, which made the firearm a machinegun, that was not registered to him.   

"Bringing a fully automatic machine gun with a loaded, extended large-capacity magazine into a high school during school hours is a serious federal crime, and today's sentence shows that this dangerous conduct will not be tolerated in Northern Indiana.  Our schools must be a safe place for students to learn, educators to teach, and staff to work without the fear of gun violence. School safety remains a critical priority for this office and our law enforcement partners. We are fully committed to prosecuting anyone who compromises the security of our classrooms. We will continue to collaborate with our local, state, and federal partners to protect our children and ensure our schools remain secure learning environments," said United States Attorney Adam Mildred.

“Bringing a loaded, illegally modified firearm capable of automatic fire into a school demonstrates a reckless disregard for human life and public safety,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who use illegal firearms to threaten our communities and ensure they are held accountable under federal law.”

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and Hobart Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Toth and Dean R. Lanter.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.