Northern District of Indiana

SOUTH BEND – Fabian Garcia, age 30, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine along with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.   

Garcia was sentenced to 123 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in this case, in February of 2017, Garcia possessed methamphetamine in a car in South Bend, Indiana.  Garcia admitted in the plea agreement that he had been distributing methamphetamine in St. Joseph County and possessed a stolen firearm to protect and further his drug trafficking business. Garcia has three felony and one misdemeanor convictions, all for driving offenses. 

This case was investigated by ATF with assistance South Bend Police Department.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank E Schaffer.

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FORT WAYNE – Aaron Rhoades, 35 years old, of Pierceton, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Rhoades was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment followed by 1 year of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in August 2017, Rhoades was in possession of a firearm after having a felony conviction of Robbery in Kosciusko County Circuit Court.  Rhoades was on bond for resisting law enforcement when he engaged in a high speed chase with police on a motorcycle before crashing.  Upon his arrest the firearm was found.      

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the Ligonier City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

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HAMMOND – Lamont Coleman, 36 years old, and Katrina Owens, 24 years old, both of Gary, Indiana were charged via criminal complaint on August 28, 2018 with conspiracy to distribute heroin. Also charged, in an Indictment returned on August 16, 2018, were Leroy Coleman, 55 years old, Tony Petty, 52 years old, and Augustine Pike, 45 years old, all of Gary, Indiana. The Indictment contains charges of distribution of heroin.

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Cooperative partnerships between local, state and federal agencies are essential to reducing the availability of controlled substances in the Northern District of Indiana.  My Office, with our partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute these cases.”

“Drug traffickers feed on the addiction of Hoosiers who struggle with drug abuse and contribute to the violence in our communities,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Greg Westfall.  “Those who continue to bring this poison into our neighborhoods should know, the DEA is watching and will bring the full force of federal law enforcement to bear.”  

Porter County Chief Deputy Jeffery Biggs said, “This operation was in response to the ongoing investigations of the Heroin Overdose Response Project.   The Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group will continue to target the drug dealers responsible for overdoses in northwest Indiana.”

According to documents in the case, Lamont Coleman and Katrina Owens led a heroin distribution operation out of various properties owned by Lamont Coleman in Gary, Indiana. Lamont Coleman and Owens provided heroin to various individuals, including Leroy Coleman, Tony Petty, and Augustine Pike, and dispatched them to deliver the heroin to customers. Law enforcement executed search warrants at various properties owned by Lamont Coleman in Gary and recovered various narcotics and three firearms.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that charging documents, such as an indictment or a complaint, are merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case was investigated by the DEA and the Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.

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FORT WAYNE – Timothy Boerger, 48 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann after pleading guilty to the receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Boerger was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000.00 to the victims of the offense.

According to documents in the case, between September, 2016 and January, 2017, Timothy Boerger received images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. An FBI Task Force Officer conducting an online investigation of the BitTorrent network for offenders sharing child pornography identified a computer having an internet protocol address later determined to be associated with Boerger’s residence. The task force officer connected to that specific internet protocol address and was able to download and review a portion of the files Boerger had made available for sharing. The files identified contained images of children under the age of 18 in sexually suggestive poses and/or engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Many of these images and/or videos depicted minor girls nude and/or partially nude.          

This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

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HAMMOND – Quinn Alexander Haworth, 23 years old, of Monticello, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Haworth was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 15 years supervised release and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. 

According to court documents, between February 2016 and February 2017, Haworth downloaded child pornography from various websites and forums including peer-to-peer networks.  Over the course of several years, Haworth collected over 4,000 still images and over 350 videos of child pornography including numerous visual depictions of infants and toddlers engaging in sexually explicit conduct and child pornography depicting torture and violence against children. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and Indiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.

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SOUTH BEND - Ricky R. Wadsworth and Shannon Brown were sentenced on August 23 and 24, respectively, by United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for transferring a firearm to a felon and illegal possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.   

Wadsworth, age 47, from Sturgis, Michigan, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release for transferring a firearm to a felon. 

Brown, age 37, from Union City, Michigan, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release for felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to documents in this case, for several months in 2014, Brown and Wadsworth talked to a convicted felon about selling firearms to him.  Brown and Wadsworth’s efforts culminated in Brown finding a supplier and making available seven firearms of various types to a buyer who was a convicted felon.  Brown and Wadsworth offered several firearms, but they only sold one to him, a Norinco Model SKS 7.62 caliber semi-automatic rifle equipped with a folding bayonet, extended magazines, and 132 rounds of ammunition.  The sale took place in the middle of the day in a grocery store parking lot in Michigan City, Indiana.

Brown has three felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, two convictions for possession of marijuana, and one conviction for purchasing precursors to make methamphetamine.  Wadsworth has eleven prior felony counts of conviction and seven misdemeanor counts of conviction, including trafficking or possession of controlled substances, theft, burglary, and weapons offenses. 

This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the Hammond Police Department, Michigan City Police Department and New Buffalo Police Department.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Donnelly.

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HAMMOND – Steven Ruschak, 31 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Ruschak was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution. 

According to court documents, between September 2012 and October 2015, Ruschak downloaded and received child pornography from the internet, including the dark web.  Over the course of several years, Ruschak collected over 9,000 still images and over 200 videos of child pornography including numerous visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and child pornography depicting torture and violence against children. 

This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and Michigan City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.

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Samantha Marie Elhassani, aka Samantha Sally, 32, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, was charged on Aug. 22, in a two count indictment with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated terrorist organization, and aiding and abetting individuals in providing material support to ISIS.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana, and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. 

The indictment alleges that from the fall of 2014 through summer of 2015,  Elhassani provided material support and resources to ISIS knowing that the organization was a designated terrorist organization, and knowing that the organization has engaged in and was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism.  Elhassani, is also charged with aiding and abetting two individuals in providing themselves as personnel to ISIS.  Under both charges she is alleged to have procured tactical gear and provided funds to support individual A and B in providing themselves as personnel for ISIS.  In July of 2018, Elhassani was transferred from the custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to U.S. law enforcement and charged with making false statements to the FBI in the Northern District of Indiana.     

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis Division and the Indianapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

HAMMOND-Samantha Marie Elhassani, aka Samantha Sally, 32, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, was charged on Aug. 22, in a two count indictment with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated terrorist organization, and aiding and abetting individuals in providing material support to ISIS.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana, and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. 

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “My office is committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those who support designated terrorist organizations such as ISIS.  This indictment is an example of that commitment.  The indictment alleges that Elhassani travelled abroad and provided funds and supplies for use by two ISIS fighters.  The seriousness of the charges reflect the gravity of Elhassani’s alleged conduct.”

"The charges against Ms. Elhassani illustrate that actions of providing support to ISIS have serious consequences, and should serve as a reminder to American citizens that providing assistance to terrorist organizations or individuals aligned with terrorist entities will not be tolerated," said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division.

The indictment alleges that from the fall of 2014 through summer of 2015,  Elhassani provided material support and resources to ISIS knowing that the organization was a designated terrorist organization, and knowing that the organization has engaged in and was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism.  Elhassani, is also charged with aiding and abetting two individuals in providing themselves as personnel to ISIS.  Under both charges she is alleged to have procured tactical gear and provided funds to support individual A and B in providing themselves as personnel for ISIS.  In July of 2018, Elhassani was transferred from the custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to U.S. law enforcement and charged with making false statements to the FBI in the Northern District of Indiana.    

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis Division, Merrillville Resident Agency and the Indianapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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HAMMOND –Christopher Raciti, age 48, formerly of Saint John, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his guilty plea to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Raciti was sentenced to 78 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution along with the forfeiture of electronic devices associated with his crime. 

According to documents filed in the case, between November 7, 2015 and continuing through March 9, 2016, Raciti knowingly possessed more than 600 visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his computer.   In January 2018, Raciti was charged by Information and immediately entered a plea of guilty to the charge.

This information results from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the case being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Denise Houston.

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SOUTH BEND - Darin Devon Hurd, age 26, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.   

Darin Devon Hurd was sentenced to 248 months in prison followed by 6 years of supervised release. 

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Heroin overdoses are an epidemic in our country, and the Northern District of Indiana is not immune.  Mr. Hurd’s conduct contributed to a premature death that left a small child without a mother.  Consequences like these are too often present in cases involving heroin distribution and use.  The sentence today reflects the seriousness of the charges against Mr. Hurd and the permanent damage that his conduct has inflicted on the lives of others.”

According to documents in this case, Hurd began dealing heroin in January of 2017.  He distributed approximately 50 grams of heroin every two weeks for the next eight months.  In September of 2017, Hurd used heroin with the mother of his child and then left the home that he shared with her, leaving behind approximately 7 grams of heroin. That day, the mother of Hurd’s child passed away from a heroin overdose while home with their toddler son, who subsequently   tested positive for heroin metabolite.  A firearm was then found while investigators were recovering items from Hurd’s home. 

This case was investigated by ATF with the assistance of Winona Lake Police Department, Warsaw Police Department, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, and the Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

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WASHINGTON – Marlonn Hicks, 31, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for distributing information regarding the manufacture and use of explosives, with the intent that the information be used for and in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division.  The sentence was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen.

“The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting terrorist threats against our homeland,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “The defendant plotted to conduct an attack on U.S. soil and, with today’s sentence, he is being held accountable for his actions.  I applaud the efforts of the agents and prosecutors to achieve this successful outcome.  Their work will ensure that the actions of the defendant, inspired by evil, will serve only as a cautionary tale for other would-be terrorists.”

“This exemplifies the Government’s commitment to prevent terrorism,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch.  “Rather than mourning the tragic attacks in Orlando, Hicks was inspired  to try to commit a terror  attack to kill innocent victims in the United States.  My Office, working with the FBI and the National Security Division, quickly and efficiently eliminated the threat to public safety created by Mr. Hicks’ illegal activities.”

“The online communications by Mr. Hicks drew swift attention from our agents, who had identified and monitored him early in his path to radicalization,” said Special Agent in Charge Mendenhall.  “As this radicalization deepened,  the FBI continued to monitor Mr. Hicks’ activity and took action to mitigate any threats ensuring the public’s safety.”

According to the documents in this case, Hicks rapidly transformed from a vocal online supporter of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, to someone planning a terrorist act. 

Within days of the Orlando, Florida Pulse Nightclub terrorist attack, Hicks was inspired to commit an act of terrorism and kill innocent civilians.  On June 21, 2016, nine days after the Pulse massacre, Hicks discussed “getting busy” with a FBI source who Hicks believed was an ISIS supporter.  Hicks sent this source two manuals on how to manufacture and use explosives and poisons and continued to discuss with this FBI source possible terror attacks.  Hicks made his motivation for the planned attacks clear, exclaiming that since the FBI and similar government personnel “have shut the door now  [on his ability to travel to ISIS controlled territory and fight there]  I’m gonna open the door to hell for them.”  As he began to develop an attack plan, in addition to sending the above referenced manuals, he discussed coordinating attacks to create  “more of an audience.”  Hicks also discussed how to obtain firearms and practice with them.  Hicks clearly communicated to multiple sources and during his post-arrest interview that he wanted everyone to know the attacks were carried out in the name of ISIS. 

During FBI surveillance, Hicks warned one of the FBI sources to “be careful the boys was just following me” referring to then ongoing FBI surveillance.  During a message exchange with the FBI source Hicks said he was “strapped,” showed a picture of his firearm, and said “if they had me on anything I’d already be dead cause in Shaa Allah [translated as “god willing”] I ain’t going to jail.”  Hicks was arrested on federal charges without incident in July 2016 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest. 

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis Division and the Indianapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Indiana.

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WASHINGTON - Two Indiana men are charged with labor-related extortion offenses in a three-count Indictment unsealed today, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana, Special Agent in Charge James Vanderberg of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Chicago Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office.

Thomas R. Williamson, 67, of Schererville, Indiana and Jeffrey R. Veach, 55, of Portage, Indiana, were arrested earlier today and each charged in a three-count indictment filed in the Northern District of Indiana with one count of Hobbs Act Extortion Conspiracy and two counts of Attempted Hobbs Act Extortion.  Williamson and Veach had their initial court appearances and arraignment earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Martin for the Northern District of Indiana and were released on $20,000 unsecured bond.

According to the indictment, Williamson and Veach used threats of violence and actual violence against non-union ironworkers in the course of their extortion plot.  The defendants allegedly sought to extort a labor contract from “John Doe #1,” who owned a steelworking company, and a business contract from “John Doe #2,” who owned a construction company.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI with the assistance of the Dyer Indiana Police Department.  Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Robert Tully of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.

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18-1061

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Two Indiana men are charged with labor-related extortion offenses in a three-count Indictment unsealed today, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana, Special Agent in Charge James Vanderberg of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Chicago Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office.

Thomas R. Williamson, 67, of Schererville, Indiana and Jeffrey R. Veach, 55, of Portage, Indiana, were arrested earlier today and each charged in a three-count indictment filed in the Northern District of Indiana with one count of Hobbs Act Extortion Conspiracy and two counts of Attempted Hobbs Act Extortion.  Williamson and Veach had their initial court appearances and arraignment earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Martin for the Northern District of Indiana and were released on $20,000 unsecured bond.

According to the indictment, Williamson and Veach used threats of violence and actual violence against non-union ironworkers in the course of their extortion plot.  The defendants allegedly sought to extort a labor contract from “John Doe #1,” who owned a steelworking company, and a business contract from “John Doe #2,” who owned a construction company.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI with the assistance of the Dyer Indiana Police Department.  Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Robert Tully of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. 

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.

On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.

In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.

The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl.

Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.

"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs.  These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”

“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Too many lives have been affected by this deadly epidemic.  I have a designated Opioid Coordinator who works daily with federal, state and local agencies to identify and prosecute those who over prescribe or illegally deal opioids to users.”

Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.

When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.

The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.

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18-1058

SOUTH BEND - Shauntel Chambers, age 33, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his guilty plea to distribution of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Chambers was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Chambers pled guilty to distributing cocaine on September 15, 2017.  Chambers has three prior felony convictions and has violated probation or conditions of release on four occasions.     

This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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SOUTH BEND - Gregory Brown, age 37, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for his role in a heroin distribution conspiracy and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch

Brown was sentenced to 235 months imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, between January and April 2016, Brown and others distributed heroin in the Michigan City area.  Combined, these conspirators distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin.  Also in April, Brown and others posted bond for a person who was housed at the LaPorte County Jail using a stolen credit card number. Brown has previously been convicted of murder, aggravated battery, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and possession of a controlled substance all in Illinois.    

This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan City Police Department.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Donnelly and Frank Schaffer. 

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SOUTH BEND - Michael Scott Barber, age 22, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for his role in the break in and theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer, announced U.S Attorney Kirsch.

Barber was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release on federal charges.  The federal sentence is to be served consecutively with two separate state sentences. 

According to documents in this case, Barber was convicted by jury of theft of firearms from a FFL, being a felon in possession and possession of one or more stolen firearms after a three-day trial that concluded on May 9, 2018.  On February 9, 2017, Barber went to hunting supply store in Shipshewana, Indiana to scope out the store for the best way to break in and steal firearms.  Barber and two accomplices drove to the store in the middle of the night.  Barber and one of the accomplices broke into the store and stole fifteen firearms and a crossbow.  Over the next several days, Barber distributed some of the stolen firearms to others.  The day after the break in, Barber returned to the area of the theft in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve a firearm that he had dropped when he fled the store.  Law enforcement recovered eight of the stolen firearms, one in Chicago during the arrest of a person suspected of shooting another in the chest and another that was used in a Chicago Heights armed robbery committed by a person who was on parole for second degree murder.  Seven of the guns are still missing.  Barber has previously been convicted of second degree home invasion in Michigan along with burglary, theft and auto theft in Indiana.  Before being apprehended on these charges, Barber committed and was convicted of assault by strangulation and assault with intent to commit great bodily harm in Michigan.  Ten days after breaking into the Shipshewana located FFL, Barber fled from and attacked a Michigan state trooper. 

This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Shipshewana Police Department, Middlebury Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, St. Joseph County Police Department, and St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Donnelly. 

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HAMMOND- David L. Adams, 62, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Adams received a sentence of 78 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to documents filed in this case, a Task Force Officer (TFO) of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force in Indianapolis reported internet-connected activity with a file sharing network they were monitoring using law enforcement software, that connects and downloads or attempts to download known child pornography images.  The TFO using this software observed 72 videos containing child pornography from an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was later determined to be the defendant’s home, where he lived with a relative.   A search warrant was obtained for the defendant’s home where electronics containing additional images and videos of child pornography were seized.  During the search warrant, the defendant was not initially home, however, he arrived while the search warrant was still being executed, and attempted to flee in his vehicle when he saw law enforcement at his home. In the process of fleeing, the defendant almost hit several agents and TFOs that were on scene with his vehicle.  The defendant did return a short time later, and was charged locally for his assault on law enforcement.  The forensic examination of Adam’s computer revealed 81 videos and 6 images of child pornography with children under 12, including some videos with file names indicating the children were as young as 8 or 9 years old. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria N. Lerner. 

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SOUTH BEND – Brendan R. Eiler, 33 years old, of Mishawaka, IN, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty of Receipt of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

The Court imposed a sentence of 68 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release following his prison release, and $55,000 in restitution to victims of the crime.

According to documents in the case, between March 2016 and March 2017, Eiler downloaded child pornography from the internet using a program named “e-Mule.” He admitted to possessing approximately 35,079 images and approximately 4,170 videos that portrayed child pornography. Some of these depicted bestiality and sadistic images, and prepubescent children or children under the age of 12.  

This case was investigated by the FBI and St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Cybercrime Unit.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

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SOUTH BEND – Peter Rink, 41 years old, of LaPaz, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after entering a plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possessing a shotgun having a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Rink was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

According to documents filed in the case, Rink was driving a vehicle with a woman who was trying to flee from police.  When the vehicle was stopped by police, police found in the vehicle a loaded 12-gauge shotgun with a sawed-off barrel and a loaded 9mm pistol.  Rink admitted that he possessed the two firearms despite having a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault in Arizona.  The shotgun had a sawed-off barrel that had been shortened to a length in violation of the National Firearms Act.  Rink admitted to sawing off the barrel himself.  The shotgun and pistol were located on the rear seat of the vehicle in a backpack which also contained methamphetamine, a scale, plastic baggies, and other drug paraphernalia.

This case was investigated by ATF with the assistance of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.

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SOUTH BEND –James P. LeDonne, age 63, of Granger, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to mail and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.  

LeDonne was sentenced to 168 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,410,580.31 in restitution to his victims.

According to documents in this case, from 2008 through 2014, LeDonne engaged in a fraud scheme involving a series of businesses that purported to manufacture fiber optic repair vehicles.  LeDonne persuaded customers to order vehicles and send money for down payments, but then failed to fulfill orders.  The scheme involved selling vehicles that LeDonne did not own or that did not exist, with LeDonne (and LeDonne’s employees at his direction) repeatedly lying to customers about the status of production schedules, delivery dates, and refunds.  To avoid returning money to customers and other creditors, his businesses would file bankruptcy and he would start a new business that would start up the same fraud scheme with new customers.  LeDonne defrauded at least 63 customers from at least 31 states and four foreign countries.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit and the FBI Financial Crimes Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Bell and Luke Reilander. 

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HAMMOND – The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Thomas L. Kirsch II announced a ten-count indictment against Yvonna Lee, age 32, of Merrillville; Latonya Foxx, age 31, of Indianapolis; and Tanisha Bledsoe, age 44, of Chicago, Illinois for engaging in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.  

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “We work with the Internal Revenue Service to aggressively investigate and prosecute people who commit tax fraud. Cheating the IRS -- stealing from the United States Treasury -- is stealing from all of us.” 

Documents in this case allege the defendants engaged in a tax fraud scheme. They filed hundreds of fraudulent federal tax returns, which returned inflated tax refunds for their clients. In exchange, the defendants received kickbacks from the clients for the inflated refunds. Lee was the recruiter who found clients and obtained personal identifying information that they needed to file tax returns. Lee gave the information to Foxx and Bledsoe who then filed the tax returns with the IRS. To hide their involvement, Foxx and Bledsoe filed the returns without identifying themselves as the preparers. Lee, Foxx, and Bledsoe are charged with wire fraud. Foxx and Lee are also charged with aggravated identify theft for filing some tax returns without the knowledge and consent of the taxpayers.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria N. Lerner is prosecuting this case. 

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HAMMOND – Jason Jay Cheek, 41 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was charged in U.S. District Court in a Criminal Complaint with Bank Robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Bank robbers put the lives of bank employees and customers at risk. I will continue to work with state and local law enforcement to ensure that bank robbers and other violent offenders in the Northern District of Indiana are brought to justice.”

According to the documents in this case, Cheek was charged by Criminal Complaint with three bank robberies; one in Michigan City on June 5, 2018, another bank in Michigan City on July 31, 2018, and a third bank in Portage on July 31, 2018. The Criminal Complaint alleges that Cheek approached the tellers and demanded money, while implying he had a gun.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case was investigated by the FBI GRIT Task Force with the assistance of the Michigan City and Portage Police Departments.  This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill R. Koster.

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FORT WAYNE – Erin Clowser, 35 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann after pleading guilty to Theft of Mail, Access Devise Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Clowser was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 51 months followed by 1 year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the victims of her crime in the total amount of $53,005.82.  As part of her sentence, Clowser agreed to forfeit to the United States items obtained from her illegal conduct, which included a 2002 Mercedes Benz S500, assorted electronic and computer equipment and purses.  

According to documents filed in the case, from November 2016 and continuing through June 2017, Clowser stole mail from various residential mailboxes in the Fort Wayne area.  She also used personal information of an individual without their authorization to obtain a debit card which she then used to make purchases at retail establishments and make withdraws from automatic teller machines.

This case was a joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Allen County Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

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SOUTH BEND – Anthony Owens, 31 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after entering a plea of guilty for conspiracy to distribute over 1 kilogram of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Anthony Owens was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in the case, from August 2017 through October 2017, Owens was a member of a group that sold heroin in the South Bend and Mishawaka areas.  The members shared at least one cell phone which was used to arrange heroin sales.  Members of the group would receive that phone, along with multiple pre-packaged small baggies of heroin, from one of the other members of the group.  Buyers would call that phone, and whichever member of the group had the phone at the time would arrange a heroin transaction with the buyer.  Sometimes sellers would work individually, while other times sellers would cooperate to arrange and conduct heroin transactions.  The selling price was set by others higher in the group and individual sellers would not unilaterally vary from that price.  The majority of the proceeds from the heroin sales would be turned back in to the higher-ranking members and the individual sellers would be allowed to keep the remainder of the payment.  Together, they distributed kilograms of heroin through thousands of retail transactions. 

This case was investigated by DEA, ATF, St. Joseph County Drug Investigations Unit, St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office, Indiana State Police, Mishawaka Police and the Elkhart Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Molly Donnelly

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HAMMOND- Rigoberto Ortiz-Dominguez, 33, of Joliet, Illinois, was sentenced before District Court Judge Philip P. Simon on his plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Ortiz Dominguez received a sentence of 51 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. 

According to documents filed in this case, DEA agents used a confidential source to negotiate with Michael Cruz, Ortiz-Dominguez’s co-defendant, for the purchase of kilograms of heroin on November 16, 2017. Cruz informed the confidential source that a courier would deliver the heroin later that same day. The courier was Ortiz-Dominguez. Hammond Police stopped Ortiz-Dominguez on his way to deliver the heroin. During a search of Ortiz-Dominguez’s car, police found 3.06 kilograms of heroin in a hidden compartment. Co-defendant Michael Cruz entered a guilty plea to the same charge on July 27, 2018. 

This case was investigated by the Lake County HIDTA (DEA) with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.

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FORT WAYNE – Walter Gross, Jr., 58 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Material Depicting Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Gross, Jr. was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on April 6, 2017, Gross Jr. was found to be in possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Indiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

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SOUTH BEND – Michael Mason, 28 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Michael Mason was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. 

According to documents in the case, in September 2017, Mason possessed a firearm while he was in his car in South Bend. This vehicle was involved in a high speed chase following shots fired at a home from the car.  The firearm was thrown from the vehicle and subsequently recovered along with a quantity of marijuana.  Prior to September 24, 2017, Mason had been convicted of reckless homicide and intimidation, both crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, making them felony offenses.

This case was investigated by ATF, Mishawaka Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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SOUTH BEND – Antonio Smith, 30 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

According to documents in the case, Smith bought a 9 millimeter firearm while he was on parole for battery resulting in serious bodily injury. In March of 2018, he grabbed and pushed his girlfriend, who reported the incident to police. Smith was later located by police in possession of the loaded 9 millimeter firearm. Smith has a history of violence towards women and of violating probation and protective orders.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the South Bend Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

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SOUTH BEND – Raphael Perry, 43 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 100 grams of heroin, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Perry was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in September 2017, Raphael Perry possessed over 100 grams of heroin with intent to distribute.  He possessed this heroin at his home in Gary, Indiana.  

This case was investigated by DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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FORT WAYNE – Darin Kaufman, 37 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann, after pleading guilty to one count of Receipt of Material Depicting Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and one count of Possession of Material Depicting Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Kaufman was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, from January 2014 through November 2014,  Kaufman received and possessed child pornography.  Found in his possession were images from different child pornography series that are known to law enforcement.  Kaufman entered a plea of guilty for the charges mentioned above in May of 2016.  He has been in custody since his arrest stemming from these charges.   

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Fort Wayne Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

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HAMMOND - Jay Kaushik Joshi, age 34, of Burr Ridge, Illinois entered a plea of guilty to distribution of a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.  

“Prescribing controlled substances that are not medically necessary intensify the national opioid problem facing this country.  Today’s guilty plea should be a warning to other doctors who engage in such practice.  When we identify doctors prescribing opioids in this manner, we will prosecute them,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch.  

According to documents in this case, Joshi practiced medicine at Prestige Clinics in Munster, Indiana.  Joshi is a medical doctor licensed to practice medicine in the State of Indiana and until November 21, 2017 was registered by the Drug Enforcement Administration to Prescribe Schedule II, III, IV and V controlled substances.  Between September of 2017 and December 2017, the DEA and Munster Police Department obtained information on Joshi’s history of prescribing controlled substances.  Indiana’s prescription monitoring program, INSPECT, was designed to serve as a tool to address the problem of prescription drug abuse and diversion of controlled substances.  Investigators obtained data from INSPECT and it is alleged that since April 2017, Joshi issued over 6000 prescriptions for controlled substances.  It is also alleged that Joshi ranked first in Lake County and ninth in the State of Indiana in the number of prescriptions written for controlled substances by DEA registered providers.  During the time-period alleged in the indictment, Joshi dispensed controlled substances that were not prescribed for a legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of professional practice.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Munster, Indiana Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Mahoney.

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HAMMOND – Vincent Wilson, 48 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to the distribution of cocaine base, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

According to documents in the case, between March 16, 2017 and April 11, 2017, law enforcement officers conducted four controlled purchases of cocaine base, otherwise known as “crack cocaine,” from Vincent Wilson.  On March 20, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Wilson’s residence at 411 West 23rd Avenue in Gary, Indiana and recovered crack cocaine from his bedroom.  Wilson was previously convicted of possession of cocaine, two counts of attempted murder, and felony battery. 

This case was investigated by ATF, Gary Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Armando Salinas.

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HAMMOND – Two U.S. citizens, charged with federal violations, have been transferred from the custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to U.S. law enforcement custody and arrived today in the Northern District Indiana.

One defendant, Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, was transferred to face charges in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, Michigan.

The other defendant, Samantha Elhassani aka Samantha Sally (hereinafter Elhassani), has been charged in the Northern District of Indiana with making false statements to the FBI and will have her initial hearing at the Hammond Federal Courthouse at a later date. Elhassani was accompanied by her four minor U.S. citizen children.  The children are currently in the care of Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS).  Indiana DCS will make any necessary determinations regarding their custody, safety, and well-being. 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana has offered DCS any assistance that they may need from federal authorities

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HAMMOND – Peter Salinas a/k/a “Pudge,” 37 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

According to documents in the case, Salinas, a member and regional enforcer for the Latin Kings Street Gang, was held responsible for between 2 and 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, and for possessing a firearm during the course of the conspiracy.  As a Latin King, the defendant participated in assaults, collection of dues, and directed beatings.

This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department and Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents.  The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office also has provided assistance.  The Latin King case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Dean Lanter and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Joseph Cooley. 

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HAMMOND – Rafael Roman Ramirez, 37 years old, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “The use and abuse of dangerous, highly addictive drugs like heroin have grave consequences on the community where they are present. We are working aggressively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases involving opioids.  We are focusing efforts on dismantling drug distribution networks, including those connected to Mexican cartels, that supply illegal drugs in this District.”   

According to documents in the case, Ramirez was a leader and organizer of a drug trafficking organization with Mexican cartel ties who was tasked with coordinating the delivery of heroin and drug proceeds throughout the country. Ramirez was responsible for between 30 and 90 kilograms of heroin that the drug trafficking organization brought into the country from Mexico and distributed nationwide.

This case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.

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HAMMOND – The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced an indictment against Qingyou Han, age 59 and Lu Shao, age 51, of West Lafayette, Indiana for engaging in a scheme to defraud the National Science Foundation (“NSF”).  

According to documents in this case, Dr. Qingyou Han, a Purdue University Professor and the Director of the Purdue Center for Materials Processing Research, and his wife Lu Shao, using a company they founded and operated called Hans Tech, applied for and received over $1.3 million in grants from NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) and Small Business Technology Transfer (“STTR”) programs and then used the funds at least in part to pay personal expenses and for the enrichment of themselves or their children.  Among other claims, the indictment alleges that SHAO purchased a single family home in her name, signed a lease with herself on behalf of Hans Tech, and paid “rent” to herself from Hans Tech of $3,000 per month using grant funds.  Funds were also purportedly used to pay Han and Shao’s minor children “salaries.”  For example, in 2009, Dr. Han and Ms. Shao falsely represented to NSF that the research project’s “Secretary” and “Technical Assistant” earned $24,000 each via hourly wages and “consulting,” when, unbeknownst to NSF, the supposed employees were approximately 10 and 15 years old and they were Han and Shao’s own children. 

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is the result of an investigation by the National Science Foundation’s Office of Inspector General.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster and NSF OIG Investigative Attorney Sonia Khanzode. 

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SOUTH BEND – Charles D’Angelo Lockett, 23 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for being a felon in possession of one or more stolen firearms announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Lockett was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 18 months supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Charles Lockett was in Wabash County when he was driving and hit a parked car.  Lockett fled the scene of the accident, and police cars eventually caught up with him after a fifteen minute chase.  During the chase, Lockett was throwing items out of the vehicle, driving over 90 miles per hour, and drove through stop signs.  The car chase led to Lockett running away on foot, where police eventually detained him.  In the car, police found that Lockett had 2 firearms and miscellaneous drugs.

This case was investigated by ATF, North Manchester Police Department, Wabash County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

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SOUTH BEND – Joseph Antonio Williams, 29 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and having possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Williams was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release.

According to documents in the case, a controlled buy was set up with Williams.  During the buy, Joseph Williams was caught selling 1.7 grams of cocaine.  After the buy, law enforcement saw Williams remove a screen from a window on the side of a house.  As it was suspected that Williams was breaking and entering into a residence, officers drove to the scene, where Williams fled on foot.  After a foot chase, police caught Williams and found a firearm in his pants pocket.

This case was investigated by ATF, Michigan City Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.

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HAMMOND – Michael Brooks, 30 years old, of Lynwood, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen after pleading guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Brooks was sentenced to 65 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Brooks and two others robbed Tobacco City, located at 5935 State Line Road, Hammond, Indiana, on August 13, 2016 at gunpoint. Brooks and the other robbers took U.S. Currency and merchandise from the store.

This case was investigated by the FBI GRIT Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.

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HAMMOND- Jared Washington, 33, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on Washington’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.  The Court imposed a sentence of 110 months in prison followed by3 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Washington and a co-defendant sold heroin over a prolonged period of time in and around Hammond, Indiana.   Investigators, assisted by a confidential informant, conducted a series of controlled purchases of heroin from Washington.  During the investigation, large amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and drug proceeds were seized from a hotel room used by Washington. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate, which is 30-50 times more potent than heroin. 

This case was investigated by the Lake County HIDTA DEA task force with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath. 

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SOUTH BEND – Faheem Pasha, age 38, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Pasha was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, on or about January 12, 2018, Pasha, who was previously convicted of a felony offense in LaPorte County, possessed and sold a firearm to an individual.  Other documents in the case show that he has been convicted of felonies on four prior occasions, had probation revoked three times, and had eleven misdemeanor convictions before possessing the firearm in this case.  He also had four cases pending at the time.

This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the LaPorte County Drug Task Force and Michigan City Police Department, and was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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HAMMOND – Timothy Downs, 67, of Monticello, Indiana and William Szarmach, 61, of Hobart, Indiana were sentenced before District Court Judge James T. Moody on their plea of guilty to honest services wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Public corruption is a top priority of my office.  Mr. Downs and Mr. Szarmach’s immediate cooperation was instrumental in the prosecution of former Sheriff John Buncich and the court’s sentence reflects these acts.  For those involved in public corruption, my office has a team of investigators that are working on investigating all leads related to all acts of public corruption.  I encourage anyone with information about such possible corruption to report it to me or to the FBI.    Citizens demand, and in fact deserve, honest public service from their elected and appointed officials.”

Downs was sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay a fine of $6000.

Szarmach, who in addition to honest services wire fraud also entered a plea of guilty to bribery, was also sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay restitution to the IRS.

According to documents in this case, from February 2014 continuing into October 2016, Buncich, Downs and Szarmach devised a scheme to deprive the citizens of Lake County of their right to the honest services of the sheriff’s office.  The scheme was designed to enrich Buncich personally and his campaign committee, known as Buncich Boosters.  The documents detail a number of checks and cash payments, often collected by Downs, from Szarmach and an Individual A in exchange for Buncich awarding county towing business and towing in the City of Gary for ordinance violations.  Individual A is the owner of a tow truck business who voluntarily came forward and cooperated with the United States during the course of this investigation.

This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.  This case will be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Benson.

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SOUTH BEND – Tiffany Gadson, age 34, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for possessing cocaine with the intent to deliver, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Gadson was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, on or about November 13, 2017 officers conducted a traffic stop on Gadson who was in possession over 28 grams of a rocklike substance that contained a cocaine base.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department and LaPorte County Drug Task Force.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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SOUTH BEND - Brian Cardona, age 21, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio  for distribution of over 50 grams of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.   

Cardona was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Cardona and his co-defendant Anthony Francis met with and sold seven ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover officer.  They also had discussions with the officer about additional sales that could be made.  Mr. Francis has pled guilty in this case and is scheduled to sentenced on September 27, 2018. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and DEA, with assistance from the Elkhart Interdiction Unit and South Bend Police Department.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.

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SOUTH BEND - Newell Cooper, age 34, of LaPorte, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for possessing heroin with the intent to deliver, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Cooper was sentenced to 86 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

According to documents in this case, Cooper possessed a quantity of heroin on his person on February 23, 2017 which he intended to sell.  Cooper has five prior felony convictions, five misdemeanor convictions, and 28 other contacts with law enforcement, and has violated probationary sentences twice. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department and LaPorte County Drug Task Force.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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HAMMOND- Daniel P. Bewley, 34, a tax return preparer from of Noblesville, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea to a wire fraud scheme that spanned from 2011 to April 2014 involving his submission of fraudulent customer tax returns to the IRS.  The defendant also pled guilty to one count of filing his own fraudulent federal tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

Bewley received a sentence of 33 in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.  The court further ordered Bewley to pay $331,493 in restitution to the IRS. 

As outlined in the Indictment, Bewley presented his clients with a paper copy of the tax return he claimed would be electronically filed on their behalf with the IRS.  The paper copies provided to clients, however, did not match the returns actually filed with the IRS.  In what has come to be known as a “hijacked return” scheme, Bewley inflated deductions on the returns to create a larger refund.  Clients received the refund the paper return indicated they could expect while defendant pocketed the rest.

The IRS encourages people who believe they may have been the victim of a fraudulent return preparer to contact the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service https://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/get-help/return-preparer-fraud .

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz. 

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SOUTH BEND - Christopher M. Bangs, age 25, of LaPorte, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for transporting child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. 

Bangs was sentenced to 88 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.  He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $27,500 total to six victims depicted in his child pornography collection.   

According to documents in this case, from on or about April 17, 2017 to about May 17, 2017, Bangs uploaded and downloaded images and videos depicting child pornography using the internet.  Bangs admitted that he possessed about 1,000 child pornography images and about 50 videos, some of which depicted sadistic images involving children and prepubescent children under the age of 12. 

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Saskatchewan, Canada Police Service.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Maciejczyk.

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FORT WAYNE –Israel Bonilla, age 32, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced before Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann, for possessing methamphetamine and heroin with the intent to distribute and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.   

Bonilla was sentenced to a total of 147 months of imprisonment on these counts. 

According to documents in this case, Bonilla and two codefendants were distributing large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine, and Bonilla possessed a loaded rifle and two loaded pistols in furtherance of his drug dealing. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Allen County Drug Task Force; and the Allen County Police Department.  This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Geller.

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