Four individuals with violent felony backgrounds in Indianapolis have been sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing firearms, following separate investigations. Each defendant was prosecuted independently.
Roscoe Nuckols, 39, received a sentence of 15 years and five months for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His prior convictions include three counts of felony burglary. Andres Espinosa, 37, was sentenced to five years and eleven months on the same charge, with previous convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery, unlawful possession of a syringe, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. Stephen Davis, 41, received a three-year sentence; his criminal record includes sexual misconduct with a minor, failure to register as a sex offender, and possession of methamphetamine. Jarvis Watson Jr., 57, was sentenced to five years in prison and has a prior conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Firearms seized during these cases included an FN 9 mm handgun, RF-15 rifle, Ruger 5.7 handgun, Ruger Security 9 handgun, Glock 44 .22 caliber firearm with extended magazine, Smith & Wesson handgun, and Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol.
The individual incidents leading to these arrests varied. On October 5, 2023, police found Roscoe Nuckols unconscious on the street with a handgun tucked into his shorts; he was suspected of being under the influence while unlawfully carrying the weapon. On August 5, 2024, Andres Espinosa was found during a home-detention compliance check hiding a loaded handgun behind his back before stashing it under his couch; officers later discovered additional firearms and ammunition in his home. Stephen Davis was stopped by Fishers police on January 28, 2024; officers located a loaded .22-caliber Glock under the seat of his vehicle and found amphetamines concealed in the police car after arresting him. On December 31, 2022, Carmel police encountered Jarvis Watson Jr., who had blocked traffic at a stop sign for several minutes; they discovered he possessed a Smith & Wesson pistol.
Federal law prohibits those with felony convictions from possessing firearms.
“Convicted violent felons who continue to arm themselves pose a grave threat to our communities. These prosecutions demonstrate our commitment to working with federal, state, and local law enforcement to remove illegal firearms from the streets and hold offenders accountable. We will not tolerate individuals who repeatedly disregard the law and endanger public safety,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“The ATF is pleased with the outcomes in all these cases,” said Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo. By leveraging our unique capabilities in coordination with our partner agencies, we work to suppress violent crime at its core and help create safer neighborhoods. Our foremost concern remains felons who continue to illegally possess firearms in furtherance of criminal activity, and we will continue to hold them accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), Fishers Police Department and Carmel Police Department investigated these cases. Sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judges Richard L. Young, Matthew P. Brookman, Tanya Walton Pratt and Sarah Evans Barker.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Preston, Carolyn Haney and Cristina Caraballo-Colon as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Walter for their roles in prosecuting these cases.
These prosecutions are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations.
