South Bend Man Sentenced to 109 Months in Prison For Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

Baker was sentenced to 109 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

“As a convicted armed robber who also had a felony conviction for possession of cocaine, the Defendant had no business possessing a firearm when he shot approximately 8 times at an occupied house located in a residential neighborhood in South Bend. Police Officers responded and observed multiple bullet holes in the side of the two-story house. Law enforcement located and collected spent casings and reviewed text messages sent by Baker threatening the occupant of the home over a $500 dispute. When officers found Baker a couple weeks later, he was in possession of the same .380 caliber handgun used in the shooting,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.

“As part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and thanks to the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department with the cooperation of St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter and his office, AUSA Hannah Jones and AUSA Joel Gabrielse were able to prosecute him in federal court” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.

“Preventing gun violence requires close coordination between our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners. In this case, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), provided a critical investigative link that helped identify and remove another violent offender from our community. The outcome in this case reflects our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the South Bend Police Department and I am grateful for their continued collaboration and investigative assistance,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Joel Gabrielse.

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.