Habitual Armed Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Third Illegal Firearm Possession Offense

EVANSVILLE - Rodney Allen Cannon, Jr., 36, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.

According to court documents, on February 13, 2021, officers with the Evansville Police Department stopped Cannon for committing multiple traffic violations. Further investigation led to a search of the vehicle where officers located a loaded pistol belonging to Cannon underneath the driver's seat. Cannon is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including dealing in cocaine in Marion County, Indiana, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, also in Marion County. Cannon was also previously convicted of a felony in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Cannon was still on federal supervised release for that conviction at the time of his arrest.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin made the announcement.

The Evansville Police Department investigated the case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following the defendant's guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski who prosecuted this case.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department's renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney's Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.