Handgun was used in the murder of Deputy Jacob Pickett
INDIANAPOLIS -- United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler, announced today an Indianapolis woman was
sentenced for her illegal purchase of the handgun used to murder Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy
Jacob Pickett in March 2018. Dawn Love Rochon, 30, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison by
U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney at the federal courthouse in Indianapolis.
“When firearms are illegally purchased, possessed, or sold, it’s never for a good reason and the
results are often tragic," said Minkler. “Judge Sweeney sent a loud and clear message that gun
violence will not be tolerated in the Southern District of Indiana and those who illegally acquire
firearms will be held accountable."
On Feb. 28, 2017, Rochon purchased a Taurus PT709 9mm handgun from Indy Gun Bunker, a gun store
in Indianapolis, Indiana. On the federal form that Rochon completed for the purchase, Rochon gave a
false statement under penalty of perjury regarding her residential address. Such a false statement
violates federal law, and therefore Rochon’s acquisition of the Taurus handgun was illegal.
On March 2, 2018, Anthony Baumgardt shot and killed Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Pickett
using the Taurus handgun that Rochon illegally purchased. Baumgardt has since pled guilty to
Pickett’s murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
At the sentencing hearing, Assistant United States Attorney William L. McCoskey told the Court that
Rochon’s illegal purchase of the handgu was “the first link in a terrible and tragic
chain of events leading to the murder of Jake Pickett."
This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, Indiana State Police, and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.
“I am extremely proud of the collaborative investigative efforts which resulted in the arrest,
conviction and sentencing of those whose actions played a role in the murder of Deputy Jacob
Pickett," said Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter.
According to Assistant United States Attorney William L. McCoskey, who prosecuted this case for the
government, Rochon must serve three years of supervised release after her sentence of imprisonment.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to
shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This
prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law
enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals committing violent crimes involving firearms. See
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.3
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
