Indy repeated felon to spend over 20 years in prison for trafficking drugs, possessing firearms
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man with prior convictions was sentenced to over 20 years after he was found guilty of trafficking drugs and illegally possessing firearms, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Monday.
Steven Brown, 42, was sentenced to 246 months in federal prison.
In June, a federal grand jury found Brown guilty of seven felony charges: five counts of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to a news release.
According to court docs and evidence, between September 2020 and February 2021, Brown was seen and recorded on video and audio selling more than fifty grams of methamphetamine on three separate occasions.
Police say that on the recordings, Brown can be seen and heard weighing drugs and counting the money he received in exchange.
On Feb. 23, 2021, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers attempted to stop Brown in his car to arrest him, but he refused to yield. Officers eventually stopped Brown, searched his vehicle, and found a .380 caliber pistol in the glove box.
Later that day, law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of Brown’s residence and found a trove of illegal drugs, tools of the drug trade, personal documents, and eight firearms, including three assault rifles, four handguns, and a shotgun:
Items found in Brown’s home
Master bedroom and closet
52.1 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin.
26.3 grams of fentanyl
100.96 grams of heroin
165.5 grams of methamphetamine
117 Xanax pills
10.7 grams of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”)
3 loaded semi-automatic assault-style rifles
A loaded shotgun
A loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun
Brown’s birth certificate and social security card
On and under the bed
1.2 kilograms of synthetic marijuana in gallon-size bags
28.0 grams of synthetic marijuana
A loaded .38 Special caliber revolver
2 loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistols
Bedroom No. 2
A metal kilo press
Loaded magazines
A box of ammunition behind a standalone mirror
Kitchen
A black digital scale with drug residue
407.1 grams of synthetic marijuana
Kitchen
A black digital scale with drug residue
407.1 grams of synthetic marijuana
Brown has multiple prior convictions for felony offenses, including robbery, for which he was on parole when he committed these federal crimes. He was ordered to be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years following his release and must pay a $500 fine.
“This violent felon sold fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs in our community—all while illegally armed to the teeth,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, in a release. “Every neighborhood deserves to be safe from criminals dealing deadly drugs and armed with deadly weapons. I commend the DEA, IMPD, and our federal prosecutors for their efforts to hold this defendant accountable and take him off our streets. The two-decade prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that these very serious crimes carry very serious consequences.”
