An Indiana man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for illegally trafficking firearms from Indianapolis to the Chicago area. Devante T. Brown, 29, and his co-defendant Corey Sartin, 21, both from Indianapolis, were involved in selling firearms, including both semiautomatic rifles and untraceable “ghost guns,” to undercover law enforcement officers throughout 2022.
According to the Department of Justice, Sartin was caught selling a handgun on April 9, and later transactions included four handguns and AR-style rifles on May 31. On June 24, additional handguns, rifles, and two “ghost guns” that do not have serial numbers were sold. Text messages revealed Brown’s confidence in these illegal transactions, with him saying, “We gone do good business together.”
Brown pleaded guilty to federal firearm charges earlier this year, and Judge Franklin U. Valderrama sentenced him this Tuesday. In comparison, Sartin, who also admitted guilt, received a shorter sentence of two and a half years in prison last year.
The successful prosecution of Brown and Sartin is credited to the Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, a Department of Justice-led initiative aimed at disrupting illegal firearm sales and reducing gun violence. This effort is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which focuses on reducing violent crime by targeting illegal firearm possession. The strike force’s analysis of crime patterns and trafficking routes has been crucial in linking crimes to suspects and preventing future offenses.
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Morris Pasqual, the acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, along with Christopher Amon of the ATF and Superintendent Larry Snelling of the Chicago Police Department, played significant roles in the investigation and arrest of the traffickers. Their work highlights the ongoing commitment to tackling illegal firearm trafficking and enhancing public safety.
