Grand Rapids Reporter

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, announced today that Darell William Craft, Jr., 30, of Benton Harbor, has been sentenced to 88 months in federal prison. Craft was convicted for possessing a stolen firearm with a high-capacity magazine as a felon while on probation for a prior conviction. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Maloney imposed a sentence above the advisory range, citing Craft as “a major risk to the law-abiding public.”

Craft's charges stem from an incident last October under Safe Summer 2023, an enforcement program targeting gun violence by prosecuting offenders who possess firearms used in crimes.

“Craft exhibited a stunning disregard for human life, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes,” stated U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “No level of violence is acceptable. The people of Benton Harbor, like people in every community across Michigan, deserve the right to walk their streets, relax in their homes, and carry out their lives without the fear of shots fired."

In July 2023, following several related shootings, police approached Craft and his girlfriend in a parked car. A search revealed a loaded pistol with a high-capacity magazine. Videos found on Craft’s girlfriend’s phone showed him holding and pointing the weapon. Ballistics tests confirmed the pistol had been used in three recent shootings.

The Safe Summer 2024 program was announced by U.S. Attorney Mark Totten on May 23, 2024. The initiative aims to prosecute all cases involving federal firearms offenses and crime guns—firearms previously used in crimes—to focus efforts on individuals driving gun violence.

Gun violence remains a critical issue nationwide. In 2021, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death for American children aged birth to 19 for the first time ever (New England Journal of Medicine). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the U.S.'s firearm homicide rate in 2021 was at its highest since 1993.

Studies indicate that gun violence disproportionately affects people of color. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows disparities in shooting injuries among children tripled between white children and children of color during and after the pandemic.

This case involved multiple agencies including ATF, FBI, Michigan State Police, Benton Township Police Department, and Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Castle with assistance from Victoria Pedri from University of Michigan Law School.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which unites law enforcement at all levels with communities to reduce violent crime and enhance neighborhood safety through trust-building initiatives and strategic enforcement priorities.

For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods visit Justice.gov/PSN.