U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, has announced that Mychal Marcell Borney, a 22-year-old from Lansing, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. The sentence is for being a felon in possession of firearms, a charge stemming from the Safe Summer 2024 gun-violence enforcement program. This initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office aims to prosecute all firearms offenders possessing crime guns.
“No matter your zip code, everyone deserves the right to live free from the threat of gun violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Mr. Borney is a habitual lawbreaker who jeopardized the public’s safety. We will not relent in our efforts to hold accountable the few individuals driving gun violence in our communities.”
Borney was apprehended after reports of gunshots were made about a car he was traveling in as a passenger. Lansing police discovered him with a loaded gun equipped with an extended magazine inside the vehicle and identified 13 spent casings on the road linked to his firearm. Borney's criminal history includes previous convictions for illegal drug possession and home invasion.
“Mychal Borney has proven time and time again that he is unable to make sound decisions without jeopardizing public safety," commented ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir. "At the young age of 22 years old, he is considered a habitual lawbreaker who preys on the public as evidenced by his previous felony convictions for home invasion and drug possession.” He added that Borney possessed a firearm immediately after it was used in a shooting where someone could have been fatally injured.
Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus remarked, “The Lansing Police Department is committed to reducing gun violence and ensuring community safety... Illegal guns cannot and will not be tolerated." He expressed appreciation for federal collaboration in holding those endangering public safety accountable.
The Safe Summer program, initiated on May 23, 2024, targets federal firearms offenses involving crime guns—firearms previously used in crimes—to focus on individuals contributing significantly to gun violence.
Gun violence remains an acute issue across America, having become the leading cause of death among children aged birth to 19 in 2021 according to data from New England Journal of Medicine and CDC reports indicate high rates persisting since then.
Additionally, studies reveal that gun violence disproportionately affects people of color more than others—a disparity highlighted by research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing increased shooting injuries among children of color compared to white children post-pandemic.
This case forms part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which unites various levels of law enforcement with local communities to create effective strategies against violent crime.
The investigation involved collaboration between Lansing Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.