Gary Traffic Stop Leads To Felony Gun And OWI Charges For Crown Point Man
A Crown Point man, Lamond Darrin Kelley, 49, is charged with multiple felonies after Gary police stopped his vehicle on December 5, 2025, near East 37th Avenue and Delaware Street, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Police reported observing a red 2008 Mazda with an expired registration traveling northbound on Broadway before initiating the stop. When the officer approached, Kelley allegedly attempted to exit the vehicle and stated, “I just know I’m going to jail.” Officers noted slurred speech and a strong odor of alcoholic beverage. Kelley reportedly told the officer there were “two bottles of alcohol” in the back seat and apologized repeatedly.
A wants-and-warrants check through dispatch showed Kelley was a Habitual Traffic Offender. A court-record search also showed a prior conviction for Operating While Intoxicated on June 15, 2021.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located two Grey Goose bottles, one open and one almost empty, along with a bookbag containing a NATO Hybrid AR-15 and a Ruger .380 handgun. Records showed Kelley was previously convicted of domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon in 2024, classifying him as a serious violent felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
Kelley refused standardized field sobriety testing due to his claimed physical conditions, but after being advised of implied consent, he later agreed to a certified breath test that resulted in a BAC of 0.136, according to the affidavit.
During a search incident to arrest, officers recovered a folded $20 bill from Kelley’s front pants pocket containing a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine and weighed 1.2 grams.
Lodged in the Lake County Jail.
Charges filed December 6,2025:
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon — Level 4 Felony
• Possession of Cocaine (<5g) — Level 6 Felony
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, Prior Conviction Within 7 Years — Level 6 Felony
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated — Class C Misdemeanor
