GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Anthony Darnell Patterson, 29, is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting to running a shadow gun shop out of Grand Rapids. Patterson was sentenced Thursday by Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou to ten years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. The conviction stems from a series of illegal firearms sales to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in late 2021.
Federal prosecutors revealed Patterson, a convicted felon already with a criminal record involving drugs and firearms, repeatedly sold guns for cash between October and December 2021. The transactions weren’t just shady – several of the firearms he peddled had been previously reported stolen. Worse, ballistics analysis connected two of Patterson’s sold weapons directly to shootings in Grand Rapids in October 2020 and July 2021, painting a clear picture of his role in fueling local violence.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, framed the sentence as a win for community safety. “My office is committed to improving the safety of our communities,” Totten stated. “We will continue to get guns off of our streets by prosecuting the unlawful possession of firearms and disrupting networks of illegal gun sales.” The case highlights a troubling trend of firearms falling into the wrong hands and underscores the ATF’s focus on disrupting the illicit gun trade.
During sentencing, Judge Jarbou didn’t mince words, bluntly stating Patterson’s actions contributed to an “epidemic of guns” in the city. She went further, asserting that those who profit from selling firearms to prohibited individuals are essentially “perpetrators of the violent acts” committed with those weapons. The judge’s remarks reflect a growing frustration with the consequences of unchecked gun trafficking and the impact on communities ravaged by gun violence.
Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the ATF Detroit Field Division hailed the sentencing as a vital step in reducing firearms-related crime. “Today’s sentencing is an important component to the reduction in violent firearms related crimes,” Kailimai said. The investigation and prosecution were conducted under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program focused on collaborative, data-driven strategies to combat violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend led the prosecution, building a case that demonstrated Patterson’s deliberate involvement in illegal gun sales. The PSN program, which brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, aims to not only punish offenders like Patterson but also address the root causes of violence through prevention and reentry programs. While Patterson will spend the next ten years in prison, the larger effort to curb gun violence in Grand Rapids and beyond continues.
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