Department of Justice

HAMMOND- Schickell Best, 34 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon on his plea guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Best was sentenced to 92 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1200 in restitution.

According to documents in the case, on April 21, 2020, law enforcement located Best standing in front of a car. As officers approached him, Best dropped foil packets which later were determined to contain phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP or angel dust. A search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of crack cocaine and a loaded revolver. Best’s criminal history revealed he has a prior federal felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm as well as Indiana felony convictions for battery on law enforcement and battery by body waste, and as such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Police Department, and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and Kevin F. Wolff.

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.