Department of Justice

HAMMOND- Kyle D. Burgess, 28 years old, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Burgess was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, during the course of the investigation, Burgess sold methamphetamine twice in August 2021 and in the next month, sold methamphetamine, ammunition and two firearms, one of which had an obliterated serial number. A search warrant executed on his residence resulted in the seizure of a shotgun. Burgess’ criminal history revealed he had prior felony Indiana convictions for possession of methamphetamine and maintaining a common nuisance. As such, Burgess is prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.