A Fort Wayne man with a long criminal record fired a revolver into the air during a late-night disturbance in 2018, leading to an 84-month federal prison sentence. Jimmy L. Faulkner, Jr., 36, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that slammed the brakes on his latest brush with freedom.
Faulkner was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty to seven years behind bars, followed by two years of supervised release. The sentence marks the latest fall from grace for a man already deep in the criminal justice system, with prior convictions for drug trafficking and firearm offenses hanging over his head.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of September 12, 2018, when police responded to a distress call in Fort Wayne. Officers arrived to find a man waving a firearm wildly in the street. That man was quickly identified as Faulkner. Moments later, a gunshot rang out before officers subdued and arrested him at the scene.
Faulkner admitted to both possessing and firing a .38/.357 caliber revolver. Despite the chaos, no one was injured in the incident. But the damage was done. Federal law bars anyone with a felony conviction from owning or handling firearms — a rule Faulkner violated with reckless disregard.
His criminal past is extensive. State convictions include dealing cocaine and possession of the drug. In federal court, he’s already served time for possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance and for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Each decision landed him deeper in the system — and this one sealed it.
The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Nokes prosecuted. U.S. Attorney Kirsch confirmed the sentencing, underscoring the federal crackdown on repeat offenders wielding firearms in public spaces.
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