An Evansville man, Arties Dushawn Brown, 35, has been handed a fifteen-year federal prison sentence after admitting to the illegal possession of a firearm, as a felon with a history of convictions. According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, post-sentencing, Brown is also facing five years of supervised release.
The origin of this case dates to an incident on April 2, 2023, when Evansville Police were dispatched after reports of gunfire. Brown, described as wearing a white hat and shoes, and donning a camouflage jacket, was identified near the scene where a spent shell case was recovered, said the report. In an attempt to escape authorities, wearing the same attire as the suspect's description, led the police on a foot chase, Brown eventually sought sanctuary in a local resident's home, asking for a "change of clothes."
The loaded firearm was later discovered in a neighbor's yard after Brown had discarded it during the pursuit. This occurrence was simply the latest in a series that included multiple felony charges such as burglaries and battery with a deadly weapon, compounding his prior misdemeanor domestic battery conviction. With these past infringements, federal law permanently disqualifies Brown from firearm possession.
"Illegally armed domestic abusers pose a significant danger to everyone close to them, our law enforcement officers, and our communities as a whole," U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers emphasized on the U.S. Attorney's Office during the announcement of the sentence. Following the trial, Brown's prosecution is considered part of the LEATH Initiative, a collaborative effort named after an officer killed on domestic-violence duty, focusing on disarmament and prosecution of domestic abusers illicitly armed.
The cooperative investigation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Evansville Police Department led to the arrest and conviction under U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman's sentence. The prosecution effort was headed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger.
