INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to federal prison after he was found with two firearms as a convicted felon.

According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, 40-year-old Evelio Santana was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Santana was also sentenced to three years probation after his prison sentence.

The news release said officials were conducting surveillance on Santana who had six outstanding warrants for his arrest. Investigators watched Santana pull into a parking lot of a gas station in a vehicle that was later discovered to have been stolen in Marion County.

When officers “made their presence known” to Santana, the release said Santana ran away from police. Officers later arrested Santana after he fell during the pursuit and when he was searched, officials said a loaded, semi-automatic handgun fell out of his waistband.

In an additional search of a motorhome that had been in Santana’s possession, they also recovered a Sig Sauer M400 rifle. At the time, Santana admitted to knowingly possessing both firearms after he was previously convicted of two counts of robbery, burglary, auto theft and other thefts.

“Deadly weapons in the hands of violent criminals fuel the shootings and deaths that have devastating impacts on our families,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers said. “I commend the FBI, ISP, and IMPD for their efforts to make our communities safer and hold illegally armed criminals accountable. This sentence should send a message to everyone returning to the community after a conviction for a violent felony. We want you to be successful, contributing, and law-abiding. If you choose to pick up a gun instead, you face a serious term in federal prison.”