INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis mother has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for knowingly supplying her son with a gun to be used in a violent crime.
Court documents show Tyesha Clark, 39, purchased a Glock 19X 9mm handgun on March 13, 2021 from a federally licensed dealer in Indianapolis. However, court documents showed that she provided false information to the dealer by saying she was the actual buyer of the gun.
The gun was actually purchased for her 16-year-old son, who Clark admitted in court she had reason to believe would use it in a violent crime.
Text messages obtained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) show Clark communicated with her son about the gun, discussing the model, cost and ammunition needed as the March 13th purchase was in progress.
Further text messages showed Clark had disposed of guns used by her son in previous illegal activity. The messages detailed how Clark purchased the gun to further her son's illegal activity and that she had reason to believe her son shot and robbed people while being involved in gang activity.
Clark's son has not been charged in his mother's federal case. He remains innocent until proven guilty of any crimes.
“Far too many of the shootings and killings in our communities are committed by people who have no lawful business having a gun in the first place. Many of these dangerous criminals are armed because someone else committed a crime to get them a gun,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Straw purchasers share a measure of culpability for the violence and death they facilitate. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that illegally arming violent criminals carries serious consequences.”
Following her release from federal prison, Clark will serve two years probation.