South Bend Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison

SOUTH BEND - Atlantis Griffin, 39 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Griffin was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in February 2024, Griffin was driving in Mishawaka with a loaded handgun, cocaine, and over $1,000 cash. A traffic stop resulted in the recovery of the gun, drugs, and cash. Griffin had previously been convicted of a felony offense and, as such, was prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department and the St. Joseph County Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.

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.