Joshua J. Hardy, a 35-year-old resident of Auburn, Indiana, has been sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after Hardy pleaded guilty to charges related to firearm possession.
United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced the sentencing, which stemmed from Hardy's conviction on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possessing a machinegun. The charges were based on multiple incidents between April 2023 and May 2024 when law enforcement found Hardy with machineguns and firearms he was not legally allowed to possess due to a prior felony conviction.
Hardy's arrest occurred on April 25, 2024, following an attempt by law enforcement to stop him for an active warrant. Hardy fled in his vehicle but eventually crashed into a building and was caught after a short foot chase. Inside his vehicle, officers discovered eight machinegun conversion devices. These devices convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic ones and are classified as machineguns under federal law.
The investigation involved several law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Auburn Police Department; the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department; the Fort Wayne Police Department; the Garrett Police Department; the Hamilton Police Department; the Indiana State Police; and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. Launched on May 26, 2021, this strategy emphasizes community trust, support for violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and results measurement.