Lansing Man, Prosecuted Under Safe Summer Program, Sentenced To 27 Months In Prison Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan Dateline: Grand Rapids, Michigan Date: 19 December 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime

          GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Mychal Marcell Borney, 44, of Lansing, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. Borney was charged as part of Safe Summer 2024, a gun-violence enforcement program under which the U.S. Attorney’s Office committed to prosecute all firearms offenders who possess crime guns (that is, guns previously fired in the commission of a crime).

          “No matter your zip code, everyone deserves the right to live free from the threat of gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Mr. Borney is a habitual lawbreaker who jeopardized the public’s safety. We will not relent in our efforts to hold accountable the few individuals driving gun violence in our communities.”

          After callers reported hearing numerous gunshots from a car driving by, Lansing police responded and found Borney in the passenger seat of a car in the area.  They found a loaded gun with an extended magazine in the car, near where Borney was seated.  There were 13 spent casings in the road that had been fired from Borney’s gun.  Borney had previously been convicted of illegal drug possession and home invasion and served two extended prison terms. 

          “Mychal Borney has proven time and time again that he is unable to make sound decisions without jeopardizing public safety. At the young age of 22 years old, he is considered a habitual lawbreaker who preys on the public as evidenced by his previous felony convictions for home invasion and drug possession,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “During this incident, Borney, a convicted felon, possessed a firearm immediately after it was used in a shooting during which someone could have been fatally injured. Thankfully, that did not happen here. In the end, poor choices have consequences. If you use an illegal firearm to threaten our community – pack a bag. You’re going to go to prison for an extended period of time.”

          “The Lansing Police Department is committed to reducing gun violence and ensuring community safety,” said Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus. “This latest sentencing proves that our community feels the same way that we do. Illegal guns cannot and will not be tolerated. We appreciate our federal partners’ collaboration in holding those who endanger public safety accountable. This case highlights the importance of teamwork in combating violent crime and protecting Lansing residents.’

          U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced the second year of the Safe Summer program on May 23, 2024 in a press release and press conferences in Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Under this program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted all cases that satisfy two criteria.  First, the case must involve a federal firearms offense. The two most common offenses are felon in possession, which prohibits previously convicted felons from possessing a gun, and possession of a machine gun, which generally prohibits persons from possessing fully automatic guns. Second, the case must involve a crime gun, which is any gun previously fired in the commission of a crime.  These criteria focus federal efforts on the few individuals driving gun violence in their communities.

          Gun violence is an acute problem across the United States. In 2021, for the first time ever, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death for American children, ages birth to 19, according to the New England Journal of Medicine (see also here). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. firearm homicide rate in 2021 was the highest documented since 1993. While the numbers have declined since 2021, they remain high.

          Moreover, while gun violence has the potential to impact everyone, recent studies show that gun violence has a disparate impact on people of color.  A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the disparity in shooting injuries among children before and after the pandemic in four major cities approximately tripled as between white children and children of color (Black, Hispanic, Asian).

          This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn.

          This case was investigated by the Lansing Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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