Arties Dushawn Brown, a 35-year-old resident of Evansville, Indiana, has been sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. This follows his guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case stems from an incident on April 2, 2023, when Evansville Police responded to reports of gunshots in a residential area. A witness described seeing a man matching Brown's description firing a gun into the air. Officers found evidence at the scene and later located Brown with a firearm visible in his pants pocket. Despite orders to stop, Brown fled the scene, discarding the weapon during his escape. He was apprehended shortly after changing clothes with assistance from a homeowner.
Brown's criminal history includes multiple felony convictions for burglary and battery by means of a deadly weapon, as well as misdemeanor domestic battery charges. These prior convictions legally prohibit him from possessing firearms.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, stated: "Illegally armed domestic abusers pose a significant danger to everyone close to them, our law enforcement officers, and our communities as a whole." He emphasized the priority given to prosecuting such offenders in partnership with local task forces.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Evansville Police Department. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger prosecuted the case under the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence). This initiative is named after Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Breann Leath who died responding to a domestic disturbance call and aims at addressing illegal firearm possession among domestic violence offenders through collaborative law enforcement efforts.