United States Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative Yields More Local Results
Improved Federal-Local Collaboration Yields Significant Drug, Gun Charges
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 14, 2011 |
ANDERSON—Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced today that Michael Angelo Siebert, 26, has been indicted on two counts relating to the illegal possession of a firearm as well as two counts of possessing drugs with the intent to distribute. This follows an investigation by the Anderson Police Department in conjunction with the Madison County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Since we launched our Violent Crime Initiative in March, we’ve seen increased and improved cooperation between federal and local law enforcement here in Anderson and across the state,” Hogsett said. “We’re interested in results like this, not slogans or meetings, and we continue to see progress as we work to reduce violent crime in our communities.”
According to the indictment and the local police report, Siebert was arrested by the Anderson Police Department after a traffic stop on October 6, 2011. It is alleged that Siebert was found by law enforcement to be in possession of a stolen semiautomatic Glock model 27, .40 caliber handgun. It is also alleged that a search by an Anderson Police Department K9 unit revealed Siebert was in possession of “crack” cocaine at the time of his arrest.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Siebert faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a possible fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the drug charges. The two felony gun charges carry a combined maximum sentence of up to 15 years, and each allow up to a $250,000 in fines. An initial hearing on the indictment will be scheduled before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Indianapolis.
Today’s indictment is the latest in a string of gun-related prosecutions undertaken by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Violent Crime Initiative. Announced by Hogsett in March of this year, the initiative represents a comprehensive district-wide strategy to combat drug traffickers and criminals that use and carry firearms in their illegal activities through improved local collaboration and aggressive federal prosecution.
Already this year, the VCI has caused a dramatic increase in the number of gun-related charges—from 14 felony possession of a firearm charges in 2010 to 84 thus far in 2011. Major drug trafficking indictments are up 100 percent from where they were two years ago. And the United States Attorney’s Office has seized more than $4.8 million in assets from drug traffickers this year, which is nearly seven times more than was seized in 2010.
The charge is an allegation only, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial or by guilty plea.