Illinois Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison For Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

HAMMOND – Shaquille Strauther, 33 years old, of Sauk Village, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Strauther was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. “A convicted felon and parolee will spend the next three years in prison after being caught with a stolen gun. On February 26, 2026, Shaquille Strauther illegally possessed a loaded .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol in his waist during a traffic stop in Schererville, Indiana. At the time he possessed the firearm, which had previously been reported stolen, Strauther was on parole following a prior felony conviction for home invasion with a firearm. Thanks to the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the case was able to be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter. The Defendant has been incarcerated, the gun was recovered, and our community and nation is safer,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities .