A Greenwood man who is facing federal drug and firearm charges lied on a legal form required to buy a gun and advertised marijuana for sale on social media, investigators said.
Jaylen Brancheau, 18, was arrested on Jan. 31 at a Greenwood apartment in the 600 block of Wooddale Terrace, and is the subject of a federal investigation involving the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Greenwood Police Department.
Brancheau was arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense and providing a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
The investigation began last fall when federal agents and local police became aware of Brancheau after multiple shots-fired runs to his former Greenwood home in the 1100 block of Coventry Court, according to court documents.
He had posted several photos and videos on his social media which showed him posing with guns and firing shots into the air. He also publicly advertised marijuana for sale on his social media, court documents said.
In August 2018, Brancheau was the suspect in an armed robbery in Greenwood. Greenwood police found items belonging to the robbery victim at Brancheau’s former home, according to court documents.
Brancheau told police at that time that he and a friend robbed the person, who they were buying marijuana from, police said.
There is no record of an arrest or charges for that crime, said Matt Fillenwarth, assistant chief of the Greenwood Police Department.
On Jan. 31, federal agents obtained a search warrant for the apartment where Brancheau had been staying. They watched as he entered the apartment with a large duffel bag and left with a green bag moments later.
Police pulled him over and found marijuana, a 9mm gun, plastic baggies and a digital scale. The gun was featured in many of his social media posts, court documents said.
Brancheau told police the bag and its contents belonged to him, according to court documents.
During a search of the apartment, police found a receipt for the gun, which was purchased on Dec. 27 at a trading post in Indianapolis, according to court documents.
During that purchase, Brancheau checked the “no response” box on a required form for the following question: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance?”
There was a warning in bold font under that question on the application: “Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medical or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”
Brancheau told investigators that he smokes marijuana on a daily basis and has for years, and sells one to five grams of marijuana every day, according to court documents. He said he carries the gun for protection and that he purchased it himself, court documents said.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Preston will prosecute the case, the Department of Justice news release said. The case will be tried in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in Indianapolis, the United States Attorney’s Office said. If convicted, Brancheau could face life in prison.
“In bringing charges against these individuals, we send a strong message that illegal gun possession will not be tolerated and individuals that break the law will receive the strongest sentencing possible,” United States Attorney Josh Minker said in the news release.
Brancheau is being held at the Marion County jail without bond.
