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An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for stealing a car and firing a gun at the vehicle’s fleeing owner.
Anthony Porter, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson after pleading guilty to carjacking, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Court documents stated that, on April 17, 2023, Porter had been loitering by the entrance of a local convenience store located on East 21st Street in Indianapolis when he followed a male customer to his car.
Porter approached the victim’s car alone, brandished a firearm, and forced him to leave the car.
As the victim was getting out of the car, Porter discharged his firearm at the victim as he fled to safety with his hands in the air. Porter fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.
After a brief search for the victim’s vehicle, Porter was later located, arrested, and interviewed.
During the interview, Porter admitted to stealing the car at gunpoint and discharging the firearm.
In a subsequent search of the victim’s vehicle, officers found a 9mm SCCY CPX-2 handgun inside Porter’s fanny pack.
The investigation revealed that the victim’s vehicle was made in Ohio and had been transported, shipped or received in interstate commerce.
Also, SCCY firearms are not manufactured In Indiana, so the handgun used in the carjacking would have had to travel across state lines to get into the state.
At the time of his arrest, Porter had been previously convicted of two residential entry felonies. The felony convictions prohibit Porter from ever legally possessing a firearm.
“This violent criminal illegally armed himself, carjacked an innocent victim, and fired his weapon at the victim with utter disregard for human life,” Zachary Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, said in a news release. “Reducing gun violence in our communities is a top federal law enforcement priority, and I commend the FBI and IMPD for their work to hold this repeat offender accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case.
Stinson also ordered that Porter be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.
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