Benton Harbor Man Indicted For Possessing Firearms As A Felon

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Terrence Terrial Izear Turner, 28, of Benton Harbor, with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.  The indictment alleges that Turner possessed a Taurus Spectrum pistol in July and a loaded Glock handgun in August 2023. The maximum possible penalty for each count is 15 years in prison.

          “We are serious about stopping the proliferation of illegal firearms, especially in West Michigan communities combatting high rates of violent crime, such as Benton Harbor, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten.   “We will use all the tools at our disposal to hold the offenders disrupting local communities accountable for their illegal gun possession.”

          “I am extremely proud of the outstanding work by the Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force for successfully investigating the alleged crimes committed by Mr. Turner,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is committed to leveraging our law enforcement partnerships to ensure Michigan residents are safe in our communities.”

          “The MSP is proud to work with our local and federal partners to target the most violent offenders in and around Benton Harbor,” said Michigan State Police Spl/Lt. DuWayne Robinson. “We work diligently to combat violence and these indictments prove we are dedicated to making our streets safer for all Michiganders.”

          The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force, which is a joint local and federal investigative team that includes the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police, Benton Charter Township Police Department, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department, and the FBI. 

          This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement work closely together to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for driving violent crime in our communities in order to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Individuals with information or concerns about violent crime or firearms offenses should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit: https://www.justice.gov/psn.

          A copy of the indictment is attached.  The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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