HAMMOND- Cornelius Maurion Holmes, 22 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Holmes was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on April 13, 2025, Gary Police officers responded to a 911 call regarding two suspicious males walking in the street carrying firearms. Responding officers found Holmes and a juvenile walking in the middle of the street as described by the caller and saw a firearm tucked into Holmes’ waistband. As officers raised Holmes’ shirt to secure the weapon for officer safety, they immediately recognized that it had a machinegun conversion device attached to it, which made the firearm a machinegun, that was not registered to him. “These illegal machinegun conversion parts pose a significant threat to our neighborhoods and the brave law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to protect them. The rapid, uncontrollable fire of these weapons turn public spaces into killing zones, and we will not tolerate the proliferation of such extreme danger on our streets. Aggressively prosecuting individuals who possess, manufacture, or distribute these lethal conversion devices is a top priority. By removing these illegal machineguns and holding those who possess them accountable, we are disrupting the cycle of gun violence and sending a clear, unambiguous message: if you bring this weaponry into our communities, you will face the full weight of federal law enforcement and significant time in federal prison,” said US Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana, with assistance from the Gary Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.