Johnny A. Bangs, a 46-year-old resident of Lake Station, Indiana, has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund handed down the sentence, which also includes 24 months of supervised release.
Law enforcement officials reported that Bangs sold cocaine on two occasions during the summer of 2023. On June 14, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at his Lake Station home and recovered cocaine, proceeds from drug sales, 43 rifles and shotguns, seven handguns, and ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Porter County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
“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,” according to Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
