EVANSVILLE, IN – Codey M. Ritchison, 34, has been sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm while on parole. Ritchison’s criminal history includes domestic battery and multiple counts of carrying a firearm by a felon.
The incident unfolded on October 19, 2023, when Evansville Police officers spotted Ritchison in the driver’s seat of a vehicle at an ice cream shop. With an active felony parole violation warrant, Ritchison fled on foot with a pistol. He dropped the firearm on Diamond Avenue, where it was found loaded with a 25-round magazine.
In another case, Randy Dale Ricketts Jr., 43, was sentenced to 15 years for illegal firearm possession. On August 20, 2024, police responded to a report of a suspicious person with a gun in Evansville. They found Ricketts with a 9mm handgun, under a vehicle, and a loaded magazine in his front pants pocket.
Destin Jay Svestka, 28, was sentenced to 13 years and four months for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. On May 10, 2024, police located a stolen vehicle linked to Svestka during a traffic stop. After a high-speed chase, Svestka abandoned the car and fled on foot, discarding a loaded pistol into the river.
United States Attorney Tom Wheeler emphasized the dangers posed by individuals with violent criminal histories in possession of firearms. ‘These weapons drastically increase the chance that a situation turns deadly,’ Wheeler said. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Richard L. Young and Matthew P. Brookman.
This series of cases is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence across communities. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd S. Shellenbarger and Jeremy S. Kemper prosecuted the cases.
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Related Federal Cases
- Fort Wayne Felon Sentenced for Gun Possession · Indiana
- Elkhart Felon Gets Decade Behind Bars for Gun Possession · Indiana
- Elkhart Felon Keosackdy Gets 51 Months for Gun Possession · Indiana
- Gary Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession in Drug Run · Texas
- Fort Wayne Felon Gets 10-Year Gun Sentence · Indiana
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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