Kalamazoo Felon Gets 37 Months for Gun Possession
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN—Darien Montrel Vaughn-White, 25, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 37 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for possessing a handgun after being convicted of a felony. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney also imposed a period of supervised release of 3 years.
In July 2018, as part of a violent crime reduction initiative, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety advised Vaughn-White that his gun-related criminal activity had come to the
attention of law enforcement. KDPS warned him that further violent behavior and gun possession could result in federal prosecution. At same time, Vaughn-White was offered the option of guidance and social services. In September 2019, KDPS officers saw Vaughn-White in a fight.
After he left the scene, officers stopped him. Officers found him in possession of a 9mm semiautomatic handgun with a 30-round extended magazine. A federal grand jury indicted Vaughn-White and he later pleaded guilty to his illegal possession. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Maloney commented on the seriousness of Vaughn-White’s illegal possession, the poor choice of going to a place where he knew there would be a fight, and the danger posed by the high-capacity semi-automatic handgun. Judge Maloney observed that Vaughn-White had the potential to rise beyond his situation and expressed his hope for Vaughn-White’s future.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. As part of this strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office participates in Kalamazoo’s Group Violence Intervention (GVI) strategy. GVI is designed to reduce homicide and gun violence, minimize harm to communities by replacing enforcement with deterrence, and foster stronger relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru and investigated by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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