Hogsett Announces 262 Month Sentence for Local Man as Part of Violent Crime Initiative
INDIANAPOLIS – Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced today that Aaron Robbins, age 31, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in federal prison after being found guilty of federal drug and gun charges that include the illegal possession of a firearm and the use of a firearm in drug trafficking.
"Our Violent Crime Initiative is aggressively targeting the 'worst of the worst' in Indianapolis and across the state," Hogsett said. "As these defendants are learning, we aren't interested in deals, days off for good behavior, or in a revolving door of justice – we're only interested in results."
Court documents indicate that on February 1, 2012, an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer attempted to pull Robbins over after observing him commit a number of traffic offenses. Robbins fled, and a highspeed chase ensued. Robbins eventually lost control of his vehicle, spinning off the roadway, and began to flee on foot. After disregarding numerous requests to stop by law enforcement, he was subdued through the use of a taser.
A search of Robbins' vehicle revealed thousands of dollars in cash, as well as a number of substances that later tested positive as illegal drugs. Inside the vehicle's console, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms, a Smith & Wesson .38 Special, and a .40 caliber Glock Model 23, which had been reported stolen in Hendricks County a year earlier.
Robbins' extensive criminal history includes multiple felonies in Marion County, and as such he is not legally entitled to possess a gun. Because of this criminal history, federal prosecutors were able to successfully prosecute Robbins as an "armed career criminal," which carries with it a mandatory minimum of 15 years behind bars.
"ATF will continue to work with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to identify and investigate those career criminals who utilize and possess firearms in furtherance of their illicit activities," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker, Columbus Field Division.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady, who prosecuted the case for the government, Robbins was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. Federal sentencing rules dictate that Robbins must serve, at a minimum, 85% of his sentence inside of a correctional facility.
This prosecution comes as part of the U.S. Attorney's Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), and is the result of collaborative investigative efforts by the ATF, as well as the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Launched by Hogsett in March 2011, the VCI has produced a dramatic increase in the number of gun-related charges brought federally – from just 14 charges in 2010 to more than 110 last year. More than half of those prosecutions were of Marion County defendants. Already in 2012, 61 felon in possession of a firearm charges have been filed as part of the Violent Crime Initiative, putting the office on pace to meet or exceed last year's total.
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