Laporte man sentenced to 180 months in prison

SOUTH BEND – Anthony Sanders, 35 years old, of Laporte, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Sanders was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in February 2021, Sanders was in Michigan City with a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. When police officers attempted to stop him, he ran and discarded the handgun. Police recovered not only the pistol, but two extended magazines, one with 28 rounds and the other with 17 rounds of ammunition. Sanders’ had prior convictions for robbery involving a firearm, two for burglary, and two for dealing cocaine and, as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Michigan City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.