Armed Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison Following Domestic Violence Call
INDIANAPOLIS- Austin Majko, 33, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers responded to a 911 call on the west side of Indianapolis. A man, who was later identified as Austin Majko, fired multiple shots at a vehicle recovery agent who was attempting to repossess Majko’s 2013 Ford Focus. The victim told officers that as he was leaving with the Focus, Majko ran toward him and fired multiple shots at the vehicle. Four .40 caliber casings were found at the scene.
Later that day, IMPD officers responded to a domestic violence call in the same neighborhood. When officers arrived, a witness stated that they saw Majko hit a female in the street and pull a gun from his waist band. Officers found Majko sitting next to two toolboxes in his garage. Multiple guns, including a .40 caliber handgun, were located inside the toolboxes.
Majko is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to his previous felony convictions, including two convictions for robbery resulting in bodily injury.
“A gun can turn domestic abuse deadly in a matter of seconds,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Research shows that armed domestic abusers pose a profound risk to the safety of those closest to them and to the public at large. Our office, together with IMPD and ATF, will continue to prioritize the LEATH initiative to save the lives of those impacted by domestic violence.”
“It unfortunately bears repeating that we all deserve to be safest in our homes, but for too many that is not the case,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute domestic abusers who possess firearms to ensure our communities are safe from these offenders.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Majko be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
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.
