Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
INDIANAPOLIS— The following seven individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a firearms theft and trafficking conspiracy:
| Defendant | Charge(s) | Sentence |
| Zackary Doss, 27 |
|
2.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Dominique Ellison, 37 |
|
1.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Antonio Grant, 33 |
|
3 years of probation |
| Ryan Hurt, 30 |
|
4.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Kevin Jones, Jr, 23 |
|
3.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Malyk Mendez, 32 |
|
1.5 years imprisonment 1 year of supervised release |
| Bruce Williams, 33 |
|
9 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
According to court documents, Bruce Williams and Ryan Hurt—then employees at an Indianapolis shipping facility—masterminded a scheme to steal firearms and sell them for profit, utilizing accomplices Malyk Mendez and convicted felon Antonio Grant, among others. Firearms were ultimately sold to individuals including Kevin Jones, Jr., and convicted felons Dominique Ellison and Zackary Doss. Jones and Doss, in turn, then sold the firearms to numerous other individuals.
Between January and March 2022, the group made off with 240 firearms from four separate shipments headed for different states. The conspiracy began to unravel when ATF agents noticed a disturbing pattern: firearms sent through the Indianapolis terminal were missing key inventory.
A breakdown of stolen firearms, varying in make and models, is as follows:
- 9 mm semi-automatic handguns (174)
- .38 caliber revolvers (13)
- .22 caliber revolvers (2)
- .45 caliber semi-automatic handguns (38)
- semi-automatic rifles (5)
- 10mm semi-automatic handguns (8)
Williams and Hurt kept some firearms from the thefts for themselves but recruited others, including codefendants, to assist in locating buyers for the stolen guns. Williams also personally sold a substantial number of the stolen firearms.
Of the 240 firearms that were stolen, only 61 firearms have been recovered as of May 5, 2025; over three years since the thefts occurred. Five of those firearms were recovered from Williams and Hurt upon their arrests.
The other firearms recovered have been found in a wide array of criminal activity and locations; Indianapolis, Lafayette, Gary, Chicago, Florida, and Oklahoma, to name a few. The criminal activity has included felons possessing firearms, drug trafficking, domestic violence incidents, vehicle pursuits, shootings, carjackings, and homicides.
“Stolen firearms are a major source of crime guns for violent offenders and pose a serious threat to public safety,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we’re committed to stopping gun traffickers, recovering stolen weapons, and keeping them out of the hands of dangerous individuals.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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