Armed, Violent Meth Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison
INDIANAPOLIS — David Taylor, 48, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on February 5, 2021, investigators with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) stopped Taylor for a traffic violation as he was driving south on US 31 onto North Keystone Avenue. Officers approached the vehicle and immediately observed a firearm resting on the Taylor’s lap. Taylor was also driving with a suspended license.
Officers seized the firearm and detained Taylor. An IMPD K9 sniffed the air surrounding the car and indicated the presence of illegal drugs. Officers searched the car and recovered approximately 333.54 grams of pure methamphetamine from the center console. In an interview with investigators, Taylor stated that he purchased the methamphetamine for $3,500 and would be paid $500 for delivering it to an individual in Indianapolis. Taylor further admitted to making other methamphetamine deliveries previously between South Bend and Fort Wayne.
Taylor is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions for theft, robbery, arson and intimidation.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division; and Chief Randal Taylor of IMPD made the announcement.
“Deadly drugs and deadly weapons—especially in the hands of criminals who have repeatedly engaged in violent crimes—are a scourge on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The serious prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that these offenses will not be tolerated. I commend the work of the ATF and IMPD to stem the flow of poisons into our neighborhoods and take guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who have no business possessing them.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Taylor be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 8 years following his release from federal prison and pay an $800 fine.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Massa, 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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