Fifteen Indicted in Indianapolis Gun Trafficking Ring

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A sprawling gun trafficking conspiracy has landed fifteen Central Indiana residents in federal court, accused of illegally funneling firearms onto the streets. The scheme, which allegedly ran from November 2020 to April 2022, involved paying individuals to act as ‘straw purchasers’ – legally buying guns for those prohibited from owning them.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced the indictment Thursday, naming Daylen Bell, 24, Indianapolis; Jaylyn Lamont Crenshaw, 25, Indianapolis; Michaela Evan Day, 27, Indianapolis; Michael Glen Day, 23, Indianapolis; Davone Trae Eans, 24, Indianapolis; Kendall Rayshaun Ezell, 21, Indianapolis; Anthony Keith Jones, 24, Indianapolis; Isiah Thomas Keller, 21, Greenfield; Anthony James Morst, 24, Indianapolis; Caleb Morris Redman, 23, Indianapolis; Jordan Devon Ross, 24, Gary; Derrion Wisdom Scruggs, 23, Unknown; Michael Coreal Stubbs, 22, Indianapolis; Demetrius Andre Young, 24, Indianapolis; and Jalen Charles Zimmerman, 23, Indianapolis. Each faces charges of conspiring to make false statements during firearm purchases, and multiple counts of actually making those false statements.

Federal investigators say Keller, Stubbs, Ezell, Michael Day, and Jones masterminded the operation, allegedly recruiting others to purchase firearms from at least six federally licensed dealers in the Central Indiana area. These ‘straw purchasers’ – Redman, Scruggs, Bell, Morst, Ross, Zimmerman, Michaela Day, Eans, Crenshaw, and Young – knowingly lied on federal forms, claiming the guns were for themselves when, in reality, they were intended for someone else. The guns were then allegedly transported by the core group to be resold.

This isn’t some mom-and-pop operation. Straw purchasing is a well-worn tactic for criminals seeking firearms, and it’s a direct pipeline to violence on our streets. The ATF, along with local law enforcement, has been cracking down on these networks, but they’re constantly evolving. The investigation involved the ATF, Greenfield Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.

If convicted on the federal charges, each of the fifteen defendants faces a potential sentence of up to ten years in federal prison. Assistant United States Attorney Pamela Domash is prosecuting the case, and the bust is part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF), a multi-agency effort to combat gun violence in the region. The ICGTF spans Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties.

This case also falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program aiming to reduce violent crime through community partnerships and strategic enforcement. While the feds tout these initiatives, the real work lies in addressing the root causes of violence and keeping guns out of the hands of those who would do harm. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and bring you the unvarnished truth about crime in Indiana.”

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