Feds: Felon from Indianapolis carrying gun sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison

West view, Birch Bayh Federal Building, Indianapolis, Indiana (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man with a lengthy criminal record was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after his arrest in June for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On June 20, police arrested 41-year-old James Hoskins at a home on South Belmont Street after his wife accused him of threatening and physically assaulting her during an argument. He revealed himself as a felon to police, court documents say. He told police the dispute began because his wife would not let him leave the home. His wife told police the dispute turned violent when she told her husband she wanted to end their relationship.

“She stated that Hoskins smashed her glasses, held her against a mirror, strangled her, struck her multiple times, and took his gun out and cocked it in front of her,” said a news release issued Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indianapolis.

Hoskins was not allowed to have a gun because of his prior felony convictions. He was convicted of forgery and theft in 2012, escape and burglary in 2016, and synthetic identity deception in 2018. All of these convictions were in Marion County.

Hoskins had appeared in federal court on Aug. 22 and was indicted by a grand jury.

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