Indianapolis Felon Receives Five Years Probation for Cocaine Sales and Illegal Firearm Possession
Melvin May, 44, was sentenced May 7, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois to five years of federal probation after pleading guilty to four counts of cocaine distribution and two counts of felon-in-possession of a firearm. The sentence means May avoids additional prison time but faces strict supervision following his earlier guilty plea on conduct that occurred while he lived in Bloomington, Illinois.
abcnews.go.comMelvin May, 44, formerly of Bloomington, Illinois, and now residing in Indianapolis, Indiana, received a sentence of five years’ probation from U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley on May 7, 2026.
The sentence covers four counts of distribution of a controlled substance, specifically cocaine, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. May pleaded guilty to all six counts in federal court in the Central District of Illinois.
The U.S. Department of Justice announcement provides no further details on the volume of cocaine sold, the number of transactions, the specific firearms involved, or the dates of the offenses.
The probation term replaces any additional prison time that could have followed the guilty plea. Under standard federal probation rules, May must comply with conditions that include regular reporting to a probation officer, drug testing, restrictions on travel, and a prohibition on possessing firearms or controlled substances.
Violation of any condition can result in revocation and imprisonment. The sentence takes effect immediately upon issuance on May 7, 2026.
Downstream, the U.S. Probation Office for the Central District of Illinois now supervises May for the full five-year period. Any new criminal conduct or failed drug tests will trigger formal violation proceedings in Judge Hawley’s court. The conviction also maintains May’s status as a prohibited person under federal firearms law, subjecting any future firearm purchase or possession to separate felony charges carrying mandatory minimum sentences.
Federal agents and local police in both Bloomington and Indianapolis gain a documented federal conviction they can reference in future investigations involving May or his associates.
This case represents a routine application of federal narcotics and firearms statutes in the Central District of Illinois. The Department of Justice has used the same charges in hundreds of cases each year targeting street-level distribution and illegal gun possession by those with prior felony records.
The plea and sentencing occurred without any noted connection to a larger enforcement initiative.
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