A 20-year-old Gary man was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Tuesday for bringing a loaded semi-automatic pistol outfitted with a machine gun conversion device into Calumet High School in January 2025.
Cesar Aguirre pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered machine gun, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release, and he was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon in Hammond. Aguirre’s prison term will be followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to Post-Tribune archives, Aguirre, then 18, was patted down in the Calumet High School office by Hobart police on Jan. 29, 2025, and they found a Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun in his coat with the conversion device, as well as a gun magazine and a vape pen. When investigators served a warrant that same day at Aguirre’s home, they found a safe with another magazine, vape pen and gummies, archives stated.
“Bringing a fully automatic machine gun with a loaded, extended large-capacity magazine into a high school during school hours is a serious federal crime, and today’s sentence shows that this dangerous conduct will not be tolerated in Northern Indiana,” United States Attorney Adam Mildred said in the release. “Our schools must be a safe place for students to learn, educators to teach, and staff to work without the fear of gun violence. School safety remains a critical priority for this office and our law enforcement partners. We are fully committed to prosecuting anyone who compromises the security of our classrooms.”
In February 2025, Post-Tribune archives show Aguirre was charged in Lake County courts with armed robbery, possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm on school property in relation to the Jan. 29 incident, as well as an alleged drug deal turned robbery involving a fellow student in the Hobart Strack & Van Til parking lot on Jan. 7. The status of that case is unclear at this time.
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This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and Hobart Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Toth and Dean R. Lanter.