United States of America v. Jonathon Jerald Ashley, Jr.

Indianapolis, Indiana criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm Following Drunk Driving Crash

Anderson Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Following Drunk Driving Crash

Jonathon Jerald Ashley Jr., 30, of Anderson, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.



On October 22, 2023, an Anderson Police Department officer was called to a vehicle crash in the vicinity of 20th and Noble Streets. The officer arrived to find a heavily intoxicated Jonathon Ashley walking away from the accident.



During a search of Ashley's person, officers located a loaded Glock handgun in his front right pocket. At the time of arrest, Ashley had been previously convicted of domestic battery, resisting law enforcement, invasion of privacy, dealing in a narcotic drug, and pointing a firearm. His felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again.



"This defendant has repeatedly demonstrated his utter disregard for the law or the safety of others, including those closest to him,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "Many illegally armed perpetrators of gun violence in the home and in the community have a prior history of domestic violence. That's why our office is working together with the FBI, through the LEATH initiative, to protect the public from these offenders and save lives.”



"This dangerous combination of impaired driving and illegal possession of a firearm had the potential to lead to devastating consequences and this sentence underscores the seriousness of the defendant's actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. "The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who show such reckless disregard for the law and the safety of others will be held accountable.”



The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Anderson Police Department and investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.



Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, 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.