Three Evansville residents with prior felony convictions have been sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing firearms in three separate cases.
Codey M. Ritchison, 34, received a sentence of nine years and two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. According to court records, on October 19, 2023, Evansville Police officers saw Ritchison in a vehicle at an ice cream shop drive-through. He had an active felony parole violation warrant at the time. When officers attempted to stop him, Ritchison fled on foot carrying a pistol. While running across Diamond Avenue, he dropped the loaded firearm, which contained an extended 25-round magazine.
Randy Dale Ricketts Jr., 43, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and four years of supervised release. On August 20, 2024, police responded to a report of a suspicious person with a gun on North Wabash Avenue and found Ricketts nearby. Officers discovered a 9mm handgun under a vehicle; it had one round in the chamber and its serial number was obliterated. Ricketts had a loaded magazine matching the firearm in his pocket.
Destin Jay Svestka, 28, was sentenced to thirteen years and four months in prison with three years of supervised release. On May 10, 2024, police located Svestka driving a stolen vehicle on the Lloyd Expressway. After fleeing from police and leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase into Warrick County before abandoning the car at Bally’s Casino parking lot and fleeing on foot, Svestka threw a black bag into the river during the pursuit. The recovered bag contained a loaded Springfield Armory XDM .45 caliber pistol.
“These are not victimless crimes. These are dangerous individuals with violent criminal histories, caught once again with guns they are prohibited from having,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When violent offenders have access to firearms, every encounter becomes a potential tragedy. These weapons drastically increase the chance that a situation turns deadly for victims, bystanders, and even law enforcement. Thanks to the work of the ATF and Evansville Police Department, these men are no longer in a position to threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Evansville Police Department investigated these cases with assistance from the Evansville-Vanderburgh Crime Gun Intelligence Center. U.S. District Judges Richard L. Young and Matthew P. Brookman imposed the sentences.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd S. Shellenbarger and Jeremy S. Kemper for prosecuting these cases.
These prosecutions fall under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration among law enforcement agencies and community organizations.
