Convicted Felon Accused of Committing a Drive-By Shooting in Salt Lake County is Facing Federal Charges

Salt Lake City, Utah - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a convicted felon with gun and drug crimes. The charges come a month and a half after the defendant allegedly committed a drive-by shooting in Salt Lake County, Utah, and fled from police the following day.

According to court documents, Cody Charles Burningham, 30, of Salt Lake City, is accused of committing a drive-by shooting on June 3, 2024, in Millcreek, Utah. The next day, multiple law enforcement agencies witnessed Burningham driving a vehicle in Kearns, Utah. Detectives attempted to stop Burningham, but he fled, driving through residential areas at a high rate of speed. After detectives were able to spike the tires of the vehicle, he took off on foot. Burningham was taken into custody without incident. Shortly after the chase, a loaded HS Produkt XD45 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was recovered.

According to the complaint, prior to June 4, 2024, Burningham was convicted by the Utah Third District Court for multiple crimes including possession of a firearm by a restricted person.

Burningham is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of Alpha PHP (bath salts) with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is July 18, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by a West Valley City Police Detective and a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant United States Attorney Cameron P. Warner of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.