Department of Justice

HAMMOND- Modesto Ricard IV, 32 years old, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Ricard was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on August 9, 2021, law enforcement arrested Ricard on an outstanding arrest warrant and recovered a .380 caliber firearm from his pants pocket. Ricard’s criminal history revealed he has a prior felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, and the East Chicago Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.