Violent Crimes Initiative by DOJ brings local man up on gun charges
On Friday, United States Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett announced an indictment of a local man related to the Department of Justice Violent Crime Initiative.
James Miller, 41, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm. These charges stem from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, and Jasper Police Department.
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According to information from the indictment, Miller allegedly stole a Colt .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun from a residence in Huntingburg where he was living temporarily. Miller took the gun and attempted to sell it at Deal Bros., a federally licensed firearms dealer in Evansville. Deals Bros. alerted federal authorities of the attempted transaction and Miller was subsequently arrested.
Miller faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $500,000 fine if convicted.
Hogsett stated in the news release, “earlier this week, a federal grand jury sitting in Evansville indicted several individuals for their actions in connection with the shooting death of a police officer in Terre Haute. One of those indicted is alleged to have been a felon in possession. We take these charges very seriously, and our own Violent Crime Initiative has been very successful in targeting those individuals who illegally possess guns and other firearms.”
To further demonstrate the seriousness of the initiative Hogsett explained in regards to the Terre Haute shooting, his office is prosecuting 5 individuals that lied to Officer Brent Long about the whereabouts of Shaun Seeley.
Long went to Seeley’s residence to serve the warrant. Three individuals in the case had previously stated that Sealy was not at the residence, however when Long knocked on the door, Seeley opened it, fired two shots in Long’s face, and then shot Long’s K-9 before turning the weapon on himself.
“Where is the accountability? Where’s the justice? We’ve lost an officer and nobody feels like there’s been any healing or remediation,” Hogsett explained in regards to the indictments of the six individuals in Terre Haute.
Hogsett also announced a convicted sex offender was brought back to Indiana to face an indictment as well. Marcus W. Harrison was extradited from California to Vanderburgh County for failing to register as a sex offender. Harrison was convicted of molesting a 5 year old in Dubois County in June of 2009. Harrison now faces 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
