Gary Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison

HAMMOND- Montrell Douglas Patterson, 31 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. 

Patterson was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on July 10, 2024, the Gary Police Department were dispatched to a location in response to a citizen’s complaint. Upon arrival, an officer observed Patterson possessing a firearm with an extended magazine in his waistband. Patterson fled, attempted to jump a fence, and dropped the firearm. The firearm was recovered and found to have a live round in the chamber, and the extended magazine was loaded with ammunition. Patterson’s criminal history revealed he was previously convicted of intimidation, criminal recklessness, and escape, which were felonies that disqualified him from possessing any firearm or ammunition. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Gary Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.         

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.