INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison after leading police on a pursuit that reached speeds of 120 miles per hour and ended after his vehicle burst into flames.
Max Gellersen, 27, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm despite being convicted of domestic violence.
According to court documents, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called to a report of a domestic disturbance on Aug. 6, 2020. The victim told police that Gellersen had pointed a gun at her, struck her and choked her.
Police later attempted to stop Gellersen for a probation violation while he was driving but Gellersen fled from police. A pursuit ensued with Gellersen reaching speeds of 120 mph, police said. The chase ended after his vehicle caught fire.
Gellersen ended up reportedly directing police to his firearms. Police found a Colt series 4 handgun in the location Gellersen described. Due to his prior 2018 domestic battery charge in Boone County, Gellersen is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“Many illegally armed perpetrators of gun violence in the home and in mass shootings have a prior history of committing domestic violence,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with ATF and IMPD, will continue to prioritize federal prosecution of the armed criminals who pose the greatest danger to those closest to them and to the public. The sentence imposed today demonstrates that domestic abusers who choose to illegally possess guns risk significant time in federal prison with no possibility of parole.”
