Elkhart man sentenced to 9 months for false statement during firearm purchase

ELKHART, Ind. - An Elkhart man was sentenced to nine months after pleading guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Latell Washington, 24, was sentenced to nine months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

He will spend the first nine months of his supervised release in home detention.

In June 2021, police found a handgun at the scene of a shooting.

They later learned Washington purchased that handgun from a firearms dealer 15 days before the shooting, according to case documents.

Washington purchased at least five other firearms between October 2020 and June 2021, reports said.

Washington allegedly admitted to lying on the ATF form so he could buy the firearm.

According to investigators, Washington said he sold at least four firearms to people who couldn't purchase one themselves.