Gary police charged Lamond Darrin Kelley, 49, of Crown Point, with multiple felonies after stopping his vehicle on December 5, 2025, near East 37th Avenue and Delaware Street, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Officers said they saw a red 2008 Mazda with an expired registration driving northbound on Broadway and initiated a traffic stop. When the officer approached, Kelley allegedly tried to step out of the vehicle and said, “I just know I’m going to jail.” Officers noted he had slurred speech and smelled strongly of alcohol. Kelley reportedly told the officer there were “two bottles of alcohol” in the back seat and apologized several times.
A wants-and-warrants check through dispatch showed Kelley was a Habitual Traffic Offender. A court-record search also confirmed a prior conviction for Operating While Intoxicated on June 15, 2021.
During their search, officers found two Grey Goose bottles—one open and one nearly empty—and a bookbag holding a NATO Hybrid AR-15 and a Ruger .380 handgun. Records showed Kelley had a 2024 conviction for domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, classifying him as a serious violent felon barred from possessing firearms.
Kelley initially refused standardized field sobriety tests, claiming physical limitations, but after officers advised him of implied consent, he later agreed to a certified breath test. The test showed 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 that contained a white powdery substance. The substance field-tested positive for cocaine and weighed 1.2 grams.
Kelley was taken to the Lake County Jail.
Charges filed December 6, 2025:
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Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon — Level 4 Felony
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Possession of Cocaine (<5g) — Level 6 Felony
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Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, Prior Conviction Within 7 Years — Level 6 Felony
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Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated — Class C Misdemeanor