Bryant Rios, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Indiana 2013

A South Bend man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. Bryant Rios, 25, admitted to the crime in federal court, according to a plea agreement. Rios is scheduled for sentencing on November 13, 2013. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmid.

Rios’ guilty plea stems from an investigation by ATF agents who discovered he was in possession of a firearm despite being a convicted felon. Rios is now facing a possible prison sentence and supervised release.

As part of his plea agreement, Rios acknowledged that he was in possession of a firearm on or about March 19, 2013. He also admitted to being a convicted felon, which made it illegal for him to possess a firearm.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that the case is a reminder of the importance of enforcing federal laws related to firearms and convicted felons. ‘We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe,’ said a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Rios is not the only defendant to plead guilty in federal court in recent weeks. Two other South Bend men have also pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Abdul Shabazz, 37, pleaded guilty to unlawful transport of firearms, while Ruben Fernandez, 31, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Both men are scheduled for sentencing next month. The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Agency, respectively.

In a separate case, Kristopher Brooks, 40, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for failing to register as a sex offender. Brooks was convicted of assault with intent towards sexual penetration in 1993 and was required to register with local law enforcement when he relocated. He failed to do so after moving to Indiana. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Maciejczyk.

James Braun, 68, of South Bend, Indiana, was also sentenced to 63 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Braun admitted to possessing a computer that contained 81 digital images and 8 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Maciejczyk.

In a separate drug trafficking case, Dale Hite, 27, of Plymouth, Indiana, was sentenced to 292 months in prison for conspiring to manufacture over 50 grams of a mixture or substance that contained methamphetamine. Hite’s sentence will run concurrently with his state sentence. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Grimmer.

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