DETROIT, MI – A Detroit man with a lengthy rap sheet and a history of violence has been sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms used in two separate shootings in 2021. Jason Foley, 39, received the 96-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, following a guilty plea to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
The case, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Detroit Police Department, revealed a pattern of brazen violence. On August 4, 2021, Foley unleashed a barrage of gunfire – at least twenty shots, according to investigators – at a home occupied by his girlfriend, other adults, and two children. Thirty-one .223 caliber casings were recovered at the scene, along with evidence of bullets impacting a neighboring house and two vehicles. A month later, on October 9, Foley again opened fire on a residence, this time discharging ten 9-millimeter rounds.
The firearms used in both incidents were traced back to Foley. On October 24, 2021, officers with the Warren Police Department discovered a Diamondback .223 caliber rifle with a drum magazine and a Smith & Wesson 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol in his vehicle. Ballistics confirmed the rifle was used in the August shooting, and the handgun in the October attack. Both times, investigators say, Foley’s girlfriend was the intended target.
U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison minced no words about the severity of Foley’s actions. “This defendant used firearms and a hail of bullets to terrorize a neighborhood and numerous citizens, including two small children,” she stated. “My office and law enforcement are using a targeted approach to remove dangerous individuals from society in order to keep our community safe.” Foley’s criminal history paints a picture of escalating violence, including a 2016 conviction for domestic violence and prior felonies for carrying concealed weapons, possessing cocaine base, firearms offenses related to drug trafficking, and unlawful driving away of a motor vehicle.
ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir echoed Ison’s sentiment. “Removing violent offenders from our communities is ATF’s highest priority,” Deir said. “We are proud of our long-standing partnerships in the law enforcement community expanding efforts to disrupt and dismantle these violent criminals.” Special Agent Kevin Rambus of the ATF and officers from the Detroit Police Department conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Asher prosecuted the case.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative focused on reducing violent crime through targeted enforcement and community-based prevention programs. But for the residents of this Detroit neighborhood, the damage is done. Foley’s actions left a community shaken and a family terrorized – a grim reminder of the constant threat posed by repeat offenders and the easy availability of firearms on the streets.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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