Zai’Vohn Perry, a 25-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges related to firearm possession and drug trafficking. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty.
Perry received a sentence of 41 months for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and an additional 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. These sentences will run consecutively, totaling 101 months in prison. He will also serve three years of supervised release on both counts, with those terms running concurrently.
Court documents indicate that in January 2024, Perry participated in two separate gunfights within residential areas of South Bend. In the first incident, he fired 17 rounds during an afternoon exchange. A week later, he was involved in another shooting where several rounds were discharged during daylight hours. Following these events, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perry’s residence and recovered two firearms—one of which was used in both shootings—as well as over 100 fentanyl pills and marijuana packaged for distribution.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with support from the South Bend Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle prosecuted the case.
Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor stated: “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.”
