Northern District of Indiana

        Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA:

Nathan Arnold, 30, of Berne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to the felony offense of theft or receipt of stolen mail matter. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service.  Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay. 

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. 

DISPOSITIONS before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann: 

Booker Sewell, 33, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and 240 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release for maintaining a place for the purpose of distribution and using cocaine and marijuana, both to be served concurrently.  According to documents filed in this case, Sewell was involved in controlled buys of cocaine and crack. Upon his arrest, Sewell’s house contained a revolver, multiple containers and bags with marijuana, approximately $21,917 in cash and evidence of cocaine and chemicals used to multiply (or “cut”) the amount of cocaine.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Damarcus Johnson, 34, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was re-sentenced after having been found guilty of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking offense. Johnson will serve 168 months imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine to run consecutively to 60 months for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime all to run concurrently to 120 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to documents filed in this case, after an encounter with law enforcement in the parking lot of a local late night establishment, Johnson was found in possession of the handgun, marijuana, cocaine, 286 grams of crack cocaine and over two thousand dollars. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

South Bend, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on February 13, 2014:

Robert D. Carrico, 28, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a six-count Indictment with two-counts of distributing ecstasy, one-count of distributing marijuana, one-count of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, one-count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one-count of being a drug user in possession of firearms.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Elkhart County Immigration and Customs Enforcement Drug Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Keon Lovelady, 25, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a two-count Indictment with one-count of providing false statements during the attempted acquisition of a firearm and one-count of lying to federal agents.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Gerardo Martinez-Quinonez, age 21, of Michigan City, Indiana, was charged in a one count Indictment with false representation of a Social Security Number not assigned to him by the Commissioner of Social Security.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse M. Barrett.

Leroy James Clark, age 22, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one count Indictment with felon in possession of a firearm.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse M. Barrett.

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 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.

Hammond, Indiana - United States Attorney David Capp and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that the City of Mishawaka, Indiana has agreed to make an estimated $132.1 million worth of improvements to its combined sewer system to completely eliminate overflows of raw sewage to the St. Joseph River during a typical year of rainfall.

The improvements that Mishawaka will implement to its sewer system under the consent decree announced today will provide major public health and environmental benefits.Currently, Mishawaka annually discharges into the St. Joseph River an estimated 111 million gallons of raw sewage.After implementing the improvements required under the settlement, Mishawaka will completely eliminate all raw sewage discharge events during a typical year of rainfall.The State of Indiana is a co-plaintiff and a signatory to the proposed consent decree.

The settlement with Mishawaka completes a trio of settlements; first with the City of Elkhart approved by the Court on November 30, 2011; then with South Bend approved by the Court on May 2, 2012; and finally with Mishawaka, lodged with the Court today for public comment pursuant to the Clean Water Act.The three settlements require sewer system improvements at an estimated cost of $800 million.The sewer system improvements are expected to reduce annual raw sewage discharges by over 1.1 billion gallons.The reduced discharges will result in preventing over 700,000 pounds of pollutants from entering the St. Joseph River each year.

All three communities have combined sewer systems that collect and convey stormwater, sanitary sewage, and other pollutants to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). During wet weather events, and during some dry weather time periods, a portion of the sewage that flows through combined sewer systems is not conveyed all the way to the WWTPs; instead the raw sewage is discharged into the St. Joseph River through outfalls activated when the waste water flow exceeds the capacity of the collection, conveyance, and treatment capabilities of the combined sewer system.

“The trio of Clean Water Act settlements concluded today will result in historic and permanent water quality improvements to the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan that will benefit this region for decades to come,” said United States Attorney David Capp.“Mishawaka’s commendable commitment to completely eliminate raw sewage discharges during a typical year of rainfall, combined with the commitments of South Bend and Elkhart, will pay off in better protection of public health and a cleaner river and Great Lake for all to enjoy.”

“When the Cities of Mishawaka, South Bend, and Elkhart complete the work they have agreed to in these three settlements, the water in the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan will be cleaner and healthier,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator / Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman.

“Mishawaka has made great progress in eliminating pollution from its CSOs and improving the quality of the St. Joseph River,” said Thomas Easterly, IDEM Commissioner.“The City’s continued commitment to further reductions will mean healthier neighborhoods for all downstream communities who use the St. Joseph River for fishing, recreation, and as a drinking water source.”

“Protecting our rivers and streams is an important shared responsibility.The settlement is fair to all sides and the City of Mishawaka has agreed to uphold its environmental obligations.Ultimately the public -- those who live and work near the river – will benefit from these planned improvements,” said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, whose office serves as legal counsel to State government.

Today’s settlement is the latest in a series of Clean Water Act settlements that will reduce raw sewage discharges into the United States’ rivers, streams, and lakes.The settlement requires Mishawaka to pay a civil penalty of $28,000 for those Clean Water Act violations, which will be divided equally between the United States and the State of Indiana. Keeping raw sewage and contaminated storm water out of the waters of the United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011 to 2014.The initiative focuses on reducing discharges from sewer overflows by obtaining cities’ commitments to implement timely affordable solutions to these problems, including the increased use of green infrastructure and other innovative approaches.

This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne Ault and EPA Senior Counsel Thomas Kenney. Elizabeth Admire, an attorney for IDEM, served as counsel for co‑plaintiff State of Indiana.

The consent decree was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.The consent decree will be subject to a 30‑day public comment period and subsequent judicial approval, and will be available on the Justice Department website at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html

South Bend, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA:

William Edward Cooper, II, 51, of Mishawaka, Indiana pled guilty before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to the felony offense of possessing a firearm as an unlawful drug user. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 5/29/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Jose Gonzalez, 61, of Milford, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 66 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.According to documents filed in this case, in August 2013, law enforcement officers served a search warrant on Gonzalez’s residence. Officers discovered a white powdery substance hidden in different parts of the property. The powder was found in the dryer vent, roof of the doghouse and in a column on the porch. The substance was tested and determined to be cocaine. Additional drug related paraphernalia was discovered including scales, baggies and other items used to facilitate illegal drug sales.This case was the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Emilio Santana-Esquivel, 27, of Macy, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 10 months imprisonment followed by no term of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of use of a false social security number.According to documents filed in this case, in January 2011, Santana-Esquivel lied and utilized a false social security account number. Santana-Esquivel used this false SSN as well as another individual’s social security card and photo ID in his application for employment with an Indiana based company.This case was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

Tad Vandermark, 53, of Syracuse, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 360 months imprisonment with 15 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of production of child pornography.According to documents filed in this case, between 2003 and March 2005, Vandermark lived with a family and videotaped himself and a minor child of that family having sexual contact. Vandermark was aware that images of that sexual contact were being transmitted via a web camera over the Internet to another individual.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Shawn Fox, 49, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 120 months imprisonment, 2 years supervised release and to pay $3,409 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of bank robbery with the use of a firearm .According to documents filed in this case, in January 2011, Fox entered a South Bend bank with the intent to rob the facility. Fox was armed with a firearm which he used to threaten a teller and to obtain money. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Ronier Scott, 42, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin to the felony offense of willful failure to file a federal tax return.Magistrate Martin is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 4/1/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Jermel Washington, 37, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of possession of a non- registered firearm.Sentencing has been set for 4/30/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gary Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Paul Robinson, 23, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of distribution of heroin.Magistrate Cherry is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Alejandro Murillo, 26, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

David Johnson, 58, of Munster, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 1 year and 1 day of imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release and a fine of $6000.00 after pleading guilty to the felony offense of payment of a bribe to an agent of a local government receiving federal funds.According to documents filed in this case, Johnson, owner of Dave’s Tree Service, made a series of payments to Hammond City Councilman Alfonso Salinas in order to secure future business from the city.Hammond’s records confirmed that the city had paid Dave’s Tree Service more than $300,000 during a roughly two year period, and that Salinas had authorized most of the work. During an interview with IRS agents, Johnson admitted bribing Salinas. This case was a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Sonyinee Davis-Pope, 39, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 3 years of probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making false statements to the United States Postal Service.According to documents filed in this case, Pope admitted that she submitted on-line employment applications to the United States Postal Service. In each application, she made a false statement or representation by either using a false name, false date of birth, false social security number, or by failing to disclose that she had prior felony convictions. She submitted the false applications in order to pass the pre-employment background check. In all, she submitted over 50 on-line employment applications to the United States Postal Service between July 2010 and February 2011 for employment in Northwest Indiana, Illinois, and Alabama. This case was a result of an investigation by United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Stacy Davis, 46, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 51 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of the bank robbery of Chase Bank in Merrillville, Indiana.This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jacqueline Jacobs and Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Eugene Wilson, 57, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 42 months imprisonment, $1,696,919.45 in restitution and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of wire fraud.According to documents filed in this case, Wilson participated in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from three groups of investors by making false statements. In 2006, in separate transactions, Wilson convinced investors to give him money, collectively more than 1.5 million dollars. As inducements, he promised to pay a high rate of return and return the money in a short time period.He also told the investors that their money, or most of it, would remain in a bank account. After receiving the money from the investors, Wilson sent almost all of it to individuals who were in Europe, and spent the remaining money. Wilson acknowledged that on October 25, 2006, he visited a Bank of America branch in Chicago and directed the bank to wire transfer $470,000 in one transaction, and $30,000 in another, to a bank account located in the country of Liechtenstein. When an investor provided him with $600,000, Wilson told him that his money was safe and most of it would remain in a bank account for ten days. He did not return any money to this investor. This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS (all before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey)

Leobardo Gaona, 40, of Huntertown, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute less than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not yet been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Raul Resendiz, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not yet been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Evangelos Doublas, 34, of Tucson, Arizona was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 33 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, in December 2010, Doublas received a large quantity of marijuana from a confidential informant.Upon searching Doublas’ property, law enforcement officers recovered 117 pounds of marijuana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the DEA – Missouri, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following:

PLEA:

Ronald Simmons, 46, of Goshen, Indiana pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by United States Fish and Wildlife Service.Sentencing has been set for 4/8/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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.

DISPOSITIONS: (before United States District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio)

Javier Montoya, 33, of Howe, Indiana was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, from the fall of 2012 through spring of 2013, Montoya participated in a multi-person arrangement to distribute cocaine. Montoya both personally delivered the drugs and also had others deliver for him. This case was the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Tenneil Selner, 34, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment with 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of pseudoephedrine.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2011, Selner purchased pseudoephedrine four (4) times at drug stores in the Northern District of Indiana. Selner then turned over this pseudoephedrine to individuals with histories of illegal drug manufacturing. This case was the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Azzam Al-Hindi, 56, of Whiting, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of mail fraud.Sentencing has been set for 4/25/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Valon Tyson, 37, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich to the felony offense of making false statements to a United States Postal Inspector.Magistrate Rodovich is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 3/7/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education-Office of the Inspector General.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Christopher Bour, 40, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offenses of purchase of a child for production of child pornography, production of child pornography and possession of child pornography featuring a child under the age of twelve.Sentencing has been set for 5/15/14.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Gary Police Department and the Michigan City Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

John Michael Johnson, 44, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Jose de Jesus Mariscal-Rivas, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 42 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Heriberto Hernandez-Fraye, 35, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 46 months imprisonment and 1year of supervised release after pleading guilty to illegal reentry after having been convicted of an aggravated felony.This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Benson.

Kevin Brewster, 41, of Portage, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 35 years of imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.According to documents filed in this case, Brewster admitted that on four separate occasions he caused a six to nine year old child to engage in sexual acts which he recorded on videotape.He also admitted to downloading child pornography from the internet and possessing that material for his own use. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Portage Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

Pleas (each before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey)

Juan Pena, 21, of Sturgis, Michigan, pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The Magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

JD Richey, 65, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of embezzlement of labor organization funds. The Magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

DISPOSITIONS:

William Sallee, 21, of Ossian, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmannto 46 months imprisonment, 2 years supervised release and payment of $703.19 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant.According to documents filed in this case, Sallee along with several others, including Tyson Allen (a co-defendant in United States v. Sallee, et al.), assaulted a fellow inmate in Wells County jail.The motive for the attack was retaliation against an inmate who was perceived as a “snitch” and a cooperator with law enforcement. Sallee, along with several others, threatened the assaulted inmate with further attacks should that perceived cooperation continue.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that it filed an
Information on January 15, 2014: Crissy Till, a/k/a Crissy Cardone, a/k/a Crissy Young, 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a two count Information with theft or embezzlement of money of the Social Security Administration between on or about March 2012 and continuing to on or about June 2012 and false representation in connection with military health care benefits on or about June 20, 2012. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
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.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on January 22, 2014: Courtney Crusoe, 24, Marcel Banks, 26, and Deandre Banks, 23, all of Fort Wayne, Indiana, are charged in a five count Indictment (respectively) with bank fraud from on or about July 2013 to on or about August 2013 (Crusoe, M. Banks and D. Banks), bank embezzlement on or about July 12, 2013 (Crusoe), conspiracy to launder money on or about July 2013 (Crusoe, M. Banks, and D. Banks), money laundering on or about July 15, 2013 (Crusoe and D. Banks), and July 17, 2013 (D. Banks and M. Banks). The Indictment also alleges forfeiture United States currency and property. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
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.

WASHINGTON – Richard Reyes, a member of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters, has been convicted at trial for his role in violent acts as a member of a criminal street gang that operated in Northwest Indiana and is accused of engaging in drug trafficking and acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder and robbery.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana made the announcement.

Reyes, 41, of Hammond, Ind., was convicted by a federal jury on Jan. 24, 2014, for his role in the murder of rival Latin King gang member Rene Alonzo on Sept. 16, 2007.  According to evidence at trial, Reyes fatally shot Alonzo outside of the U.S. Bar in East Chicago.  Reyes was convicted of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and murder in aid of racketeering activity, which each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison; and murder resulting from the use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence, which carries a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence and a maximum of life in prison.

Reyes was among 24 individuals charged in this investigation, and 22 have pleaded guilty, including six men who pleaded guilty in January 2014.  Those charged are accused of having participated collectively in 14 murders and eight attempted murders from 2002 to 2012 as part of their criminal enterprise.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial.

On Jan. 13, 2014, Salvador Chavez, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Chief Judge Philip P. Simon in the Northern District of Indiana to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.

On Jan. 10, 2014, Jason Medina, aka Burns, 30; Edward Raye Serna, 34; and Armando Jose Velasquez, aka Money, age 26, all of East Chicago, Ind., pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Simon.  Medina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity; murder resulting from the use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence; and attempted murder in aid of racketeering activity, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  Medina admitted that he used a firearm to murder Guadalupe Trevino on July 24, 2005, and attempted to murder a victim on June 6, 2011.  Sentencing for Medina is scheduled for June 19, 2014.  Edward Serna pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and attempted murder in aid of racketeering activity and admitted to his participation in the same attempted murder on June 6, 2011.  Sentencing for Edward Serna is also set for June 19, 2014.  Velasquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, murder resulting from the use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted murder in aid of racketeering activity.  Velasquez admitted he used a firearm on Dec. 3, 2011, when he attempted to murder a victim in aid of racketeering activity.  Sentencing for Velasquez is scheduled for June 6, 2014.

On Jan. 3, 2014, Julian Guillermo Serna, aka Big Ju, 24, and Vincent Garza, aka Chente, 22, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Simon.  Julian Serna pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and to murder resulting from the use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence.  Julian Serna admitted that he used a firearm to murder Mario Soriano on March 25, 2008.  Sentencing for Julian Serna is scheduled for July 25, 2014.  Garza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and two counts of homicide in aid of racketeering activity, which each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.  Garza admitted that he participated in the murder of Michael Sessum and Miguel Mejias on June 3, 2008.  Sentencing for Garza is scheduled for July 24, 2104.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department and the Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Bruce Hegyi of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS (all before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein):

Kenny Lee, 29, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of unlawful transport of firearms. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.Sentencing has been set for 4/24/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Dan Warren, 44, of Leesburg, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.Sentencing has been set for 4/25/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

Adam J. Shetler, 33, of Goshen, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.Sentencing has been set for 4/24/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Rebecca Turner, 26, of Mishawaka, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 37 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly distributing a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, on March 27, 2013, Turner sold a package that she believed contained a controlled substance. The sale was in Elkhart County, Indiana and was conducted with an individual working with law enforcement.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Scott Weaver, 29, of Mishawaka, Indiana, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 97 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly distributing a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, on March 27, 2013, Weaver sold a package that he believed contained a controlled substance. Weaver’s wife Rebecca Turner delivered the package for her husband.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Natisha Hillard, 25, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offenses of sale of a child by a parent for production of child pornography and sexual exploitation and permitting a child by a parent to participate in the production of child pornography.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Gary Police Department and the Michigan City Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Keyosha Toney, 26, of East Chicago, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin to the felony offense of making false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm.Magistrate Martin is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Octavio Casas-Garcia, 45, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge John Martin to the felony offense of illegal reentry after having been convicted of a felony.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Benson.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Ronald Parks, 61, address unknown/homeless, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 262 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to kidnapping. According to documents filed in this case, in March 2012 the victim stopped for change for a $20 bill at a Marathon gas station located in Hammond, Indiana. She was getting back into her car when Parks forced her into her car through the driver’s door.Parks eventually stopped the car, took her cell phone and fled on foot.In a separate matter, Parks was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment, to run concurrently with the kidnapping sentence, after pleading guilty to bank robbery.According to documents filed in this case, in April, 2012 Parks robbed the Citizen’s Bank in Hammond, Indiana using a note that indicated he had a gun.The teller indicated that Parks had flashed a black gun that was in his waistband.This teller later identified Parks in a photo lineup. These cases were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hammond Police Department.These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITION:

Kameron Kutzli, 23, of Dunkirk, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 57 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant.According to documents filed in this case, Kutzli along with several others, including Tyson Allen (a co-defendant in United States v. Sallee, et al.), assaulted a fellow inmate in Wells County jail.The motive for the attack was retaliation against an inmate who was perceived as a “snitch” and a cooperator with law enforcement. Kutzli, along with several others, threatened the assaulted inmate with further attacks should that perceived cooperation continue.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on January 22, 2014: Shawn C. Norman, 54, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a three count Indictment with distribution of heroin on or about October 4, 2013, and November 20, 2013, and possession with intent to distribute heroin on or about December 20, 2013. The Indictment also alleges forfeiture of United States currency. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Sheila Robinson, 49, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a twenty count Superseding
Indictment with wire fraud and making a false claim on or about January 18, 2012, January 26, 2012, January 31, 2012, February 13, 2012, February 15, 2012, February 29, 2012, April 23, 2012, and August 6, 2012; mail fraud on or about March 2, 2012, and aggravated identity theft on or about February 13, 2012, February 15, 2012, and August 6, 2012. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and United States Postal Inspection Service. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lovita Morris King and Deborah M. Leonard.
Deantre L. Rogers, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a three count Indictment with distribution of cocaine on or about October 1, 2013, distribution of cocaine base, “crack” on or about November 22, 2013, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or about December 20, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Christopher R. Smith, 30, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a single count
Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about December 30, 2013. The
Indictment also alleges forfeiture of a firearm, ammunition and a magazine. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
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.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

LaShaun Murry, 33, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.Sentencing has been set for 4/17/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Silvino Alonso-Pineda, 37, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of illegally re-entering the United States after being deported and having a prior aggravated felony as well as possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Sentencing has been set for 4/23/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Vernado Malone, 37, of Indianapolis, Indiana pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation .Sentencing has been set for 4/17/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Taja Anderson, 25, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 21 months imprisonment, 2 years supervised release and to pay $13,131 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being an accessory after the fact to bank robbery.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Anderson, fully aware of a bank robbery, aided bank robbers, including Kendra Winston, and attempted to prevent an arrest.Anderson drove with the other involved persons to a parking lot near the bank in downtown South Bend. After the robbery, Anderson went with the robbers to a casino to “clean” the money that was stolen from the bank. She also allowed the involved individuals to stay at her residence after the theft.Anderson accepted money as payment for her part in attempting to conceal the crime.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

Kendra Winston, 25, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 21 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release and to pay $13,131.00 in restitution, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of with armed bank robbery.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Winston aided in the robbery of a bank in South Bend, Indiana.Specifically, Winston drove with the robber and Taja Anderson to the bank in downtown South Bend on April 11, 2013. After the bank was robbed, Winston and the others involved drove away from the bank and Winston was to dispose of the vehicle. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

INDICTMENTS:

Robert Barker, 28, of Calumet City, Illinois, was charged with six counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms and six counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Gerardo Mendez, 26, address unknown in Illinois, was charged with passing counterfeit obligations.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Rita Law, 55, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with two counts of human trafficking and servitude and one count of transporting for the purpose of prostitution. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

Edward Olszewski, of Hobart, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Law et al., was charged with one count of transporting for the purpose of prostitution.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

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.

PLEAS:

Salvador Chavez, 34, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. Sentencing has been set for 6/20/14. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Chicago Police Department and the Hammond Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Cedric Payton, 39, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Sentencing has been set for 4/10/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Demetrius Moore, 48, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 3 years of probation and $16,283.00 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property.According to documents filed in this case, from January of 2009 through February of 2011, Moore periodically filed for unemployment benefits with the State of Indiana at a time he knew he was not legally eligible for benefits because he was employed. This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Jose Ortiz, 32, of Chicago, Illinois, a defendant in the case US v Yepez et al., was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 15 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Scott Filbey, 48, of Walton, Kentucky, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to two concurrent terms of 342 months imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of the felony offense of production of child pornography.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Simmuel Mobley, 46, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 30 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Mobley has a prior felony conviction for dealing in marijuana in 2003. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Antonio Wilson, 31, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 15 months imprisonment and 6 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine within 1000 feet of a school.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Gary Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following felony sentencings that occurred this week before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:

Juan Sandoval, 46, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment with 6 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and 120 months of imprisonment with 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, both sentences to run concurrently.According to documents filed in this case, in March 2013, Sandoval’s residence was searched by law enforcement.Officers discovered two hidden shotguns, a handgun and ammunition.When arrested, Sandoval had approximately $8,000 cash in his possession and admitted to possession of the guns and dealing in methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Ronald Bodley, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 46 months of imprisonment and 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, Bodley was stopped for a traffic violation and claimed he was ill during the stop.During a medical examination, a law enforcement officer observed a bag containing white powder sticking out of Bodley’s coat pocket.The bag was seized and field tested positive for cocaine with an approximate weight of 124.8 grams.Bodley was arrested and his residence searched.During the search, law enforcement discovered large amounts of drugs and money, including more than a kilogram of cocaine and more than $30,000 in cash.This case was the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA:

Angela White, 28, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of the Treasury. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.Sentencing has been set for 4/10/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Gildardo Huerta-Bucio, 33, of Howe, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 24 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, during the fall of 2012 and continuing through the spring of 2013, Huerta-Bucio was involved with several other persons in an agreement to distribute powder cocaine. Several of these transactions took place at his residence in Howe, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITIONS:

Raynell Vaxter, 53, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip P. Simon to 120 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2011, Gary Police responded to a disturbance involving an unwanted male in possession of a firearm.Local law enforcement determined that the man was Vaxter who was threatening and harassing an ex-girlfriend located at the address. Vaxter was arrested later while also being suspected of vehicular arson behind the same location.While the vehicle Vaxter was using was searched, officers recovered an AMT .380 caliber pistol that was later determined to have been reported stolen.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Marilyn Krusas, 70, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 1 year and a day with 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of tax evasion.According to documents filed in this case, Krusas, a council member for the city of Gary, did not file tax returns for 20 consecutive years. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITIONS:

Rodrick Dedeaux, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 41 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and hashish.According to documents filed in this case, Dedeaux was arrested when these illegal drugs and two handguns were found in his house.These drugs were stored in the basement of Dedeaux’s home next to the firearms. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

United States Attorney David Capp announced today that the Northern District of Indiana (NDIN) collected over $15 million in Fiscal Year 2013.  This amount was the total of civil and criminal collections processed in the Northern District of Indiana as the result of efforts by the United States Attorney’s Office and other components of the Department of Justice.  The budget for the United States Attorney’s Office for Fiscal Year 2013 was approximately $7.9 million.

Mr. Capp’s announcement follows Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement on Thursday that the Justice Department collected approximately $8.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013. The more than $8 billion in collections in FY 2013 represents nearly three times the appropriated $2.76 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.

“The department’s enforcement actions help to not only ensure justice is served, but also deliver a valuable return to the American people,” said Attorney General Holder. “It is critical that Congress provide the resources necessary to match the department’s mounting caseload. As these figures show, supporting our federal prosecutors is a sound investment.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

In addition to the $15 million in collections, the NDIN, working with its federal law enforcement partners, collected another $6.8 million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2013.  Forfeited assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and are used to restore funds to crime victims and are distributed to local police departments to supplement local law enforcement efforts.

United States Attorney David Capp announced today that the Northern District of Indiana (NDIN) collected over $15 million in Fiscal Year 2013.This amount was the total of civil and criminal collections processed in the Northern District of Indiana as the result of efforts by the United States Attorney’s Office and other components of the Department of Justice.The budget for the United States Attorney’s Office for Fiscal Year 2013 was approximately $7.9 million.

Mr. Capp’s announcement follows Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement on Thursday that the Justice Department collected approximately $8.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013. The more than $8 billion in collections in FY 2013 represents nearly three times the appropriated $2.76 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.

“The department’s enforcement actions help to not only ensure justice is served, but also deliver a valuable return to the American people,” said Attorney General Holder. “It is critical that Congress provide the resources necessary to match the department’s mounting caseload. As these figures show, supporting our federal prosecutors is a sound investment.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

In addition to the $15 million in collections, the NDIN, working with its federal law enforcement partners, collected another $6.8 million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2013.Forfeited assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and are used to restore funds to crime victims and are distributed to local police departments to supplement local law enforcement efforts.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on November 20, 2013: Daniel Perry, 24, of Fairmount, Indiana, is charged in a two Indictment with receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors on or about June 11, 2012, and knowingly possessing visual depictions of minor(s) engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about January 24, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of computers and hard drives. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA:

Demonte Brantley, 19, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 4/3/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

DISPOSITIONS:

Bryant Rios, 25, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 78 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.According to documents filed in this case, in May 2013 Rios possessed a loaded .40 caliber pistol which he fired because of a dispute during a drug deal. Mr. Rios has a prior conviction for a felony crime of criminal recklessness.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Gary Wright, 32, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 60 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, the Fugitive Task Force spotted Wright who was wanted on a parole violation. Wright fled from law enforcement and dropped a loaded SIG 9mm handgun as he ran. Wright was finally apprehended and had several grams of crack (cocaine) and heroin in his possession. Wright stated during his arrest that he intended to sell the firearm. Wright has a previous conviction for manslaughter. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ CELL: (219) 314-9993

mary.hatton@usdoj.gov

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Derrick Green, 23, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felon offense of making false statements in the purchase of a firearm. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Ronier Scott, 42, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin to the misdemeanor offense of failure to file a federal tax return.Magistrate Martin is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Christopher Chico, 27, of Blue Island, Illinois, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of distribution of cocaine.Sentencing has been set for 2/27/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Jerome Robinson, 24, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of distribution of heroin.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Brian Cerrillos, 50, of, East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to time served, 2 years of supervised release and restitution of $10,000.00 to Dean Foods after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to transport stolen goods that had a value in excess of $5,000.00.According to documents filed in this case, in August of 2011, Cerrillos and his brother, Anthony Cerrillos, stole a refrigerated milk trailer from a dairy distributor in Hammond, Indiana. They then traveled to Illinois and sold the milk at different convenience stores for a profit. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hammond Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

Jimmie Woods, 71, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 50 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.According to documents filed in this case, Woods was a major supplier of heroin in Gary.After a controlled purchase of heroin from Woods was arranged, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on Woods, who was arrested.Heroin was recovered from Woods’ person.A state search warrant was executed on Wood’s residence which resulted in the recovery of 125 envelopes containing heroin and a firearm.Woods has been in federal custody since September 2009 and will be given credit for time served. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Julius Solis, 24, of East Chicago, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Briseno et al., was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 192 months of imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit racketeering activity and use of a firearm during a federal crime of violence and drug trafficking crime.Solis is a member of the Imperial Gangsters, a Chicago-based gang, with factions around the country, including Northwest Indiana and Florida.According to documents filed in this case, Solis also admitted that he was responsible for the voluntary manslaughter of one individual. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department and the Lake County HIDTA. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITIONS:

Robert Hendry, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to serve 60 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.According to documents filed in this case, Hendry was arrested and admitted to selling methamphetamine and dealing drugs while being armed with a firearm. Hendry also admitted to falsely purchasing a handgun for a convicted felon.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Trey Jackson, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 51 imprisonment months with 2 years supervised release for one count and 84 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release to be served consecutive with the first count’s sentence after pleading guilty to the felony offense of armed bank robbery and brandishing and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Jackson committed an armed bank robbery primarily with the help of an accomplice.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Shawn Hagler, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to serve 46 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of armed bank robbery.According to documents filed in this case, in August 2000, two men entered the National City Bank in Woodburn, Indiana and attempted to obtain money from the vault.The robber at the vault was unable to get any money out of the vault, eventually fled and was subsequently arrested.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Scott Shell, 36, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 70 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, in July 2012, officers with the Fort Wayne Police Department executed a state drug search warrant at Shell’s residence located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The police recovered various items at the defendant’s residence including a Hi-Point 9mm loaded firearm, three clear plastic baggies which contained 57.0 grams of marijuana and cash.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

Gelacio Martinez, 36, of Sturgis, Michigan was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 15 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of using a communication facility to facilitate a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.According to documents filed in this case, Martinez was involved in a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy revealed between July 2011 and February 2013.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ CELL: (219) 314-9993

mary.hatton@usdoj.gov

Hammond, Indiana- The United States Attorney’s Office announced that the following Indictments were returned on December 18, 2013:

Alejandro Murillo, 26, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with distribution of methamphetamine and eluding examination and inspection by immigration officers. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Keith Cloudy, 37, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with nine counts of distribution of crack cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Dajon Rowlett, 31, and Hudie Scott, 27, both of Gary, Indiana, were charged with distribution of crack cocaine.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Luis Pecina, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Mario Stokes, 40, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

As the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the following nine individuals were charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and mail fraud:

Dwayne Ashford, 52, of Michigan City, Indiana;

Robert Lemon, 48, of Michigan City, Indiana;

Tomika Yates, 49, of Grand Prairie, Texas;

Roberta Butler, 31, of Valparaiso, Indiana;

Archie Hamilton, 48, of Calumet City, Illinois;

Theodus Lanfair, 32, of Grand Prairie, Texas;

Andy Mitchell, 54, of Michigan City, Indiana;

Toni Alexander, 42, of Calumet City, Illinois; and

Melissa Yates, 37, of Michigan City, Indiana.

This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ CELL: (219) 314-9993

mary.hatton@usdoj.gov

Hammond, Indiana - United States Attorney David Capp announced that Rita Law, 55, of Chicago, Illinois was charged in a sealed Complaint filed on October 17, 2013, now unsealed, with transporting an individual for the purposes of prostitution.

According to the Complaint, Law is suspected of operating a prostitution ring out of three massage parlors in the Northern District of Indiana.Law was arrested on October 18, 2013 after deplaning from a Cathay Pacific airline flight in Hong Kong.HSI’s (“Homeland Security Investigations”) Hong Kong office coordinated with the Hong Kong Department of Justice and the Hong Kong Police Force to both arrest and extradite Ms. Law back to the United States to face the charge contained in the Complaint.

This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations Hong Kong.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

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.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on December 16, 2013: Nathan Arnold, 30, of Berne, Indiana, is charged in a two count Indictment with theft or receipt of stolen mail matter from the postal customers of Berne, Indiana on or about July 20, 2013 and August 12, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Berne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
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.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on December 16, 2013: Brandon S. Keister, 21, of Russell, Kentucky, is charged in a single count Indictment with stealing a firearm from a Federal Firearms License person on or about September 10, 2012. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department and the Kendallville Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Stephen M. Long, 28, of Auburn, Indiana, is charged in a single count Indictment with bank robbery on or about November 18, 2013. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force (NEIFBRTF), with assistance from the Anderson Police Department and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. The NEIFBRTF is comprised of FBI agents, and personnel from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
Charles R. Seals, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Calvin L. Miller, 22, of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Brandon D. Sizemore, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana were all charged in a four count Indictment respectively with armed bank robbery (all defendants), use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (Seals (in two counts) and Miller), assault of a United States government employee (Seals and Miller), all occurring on or about December 5, 2013. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force (NEIFBRTF) and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The NEIFBRTF is comprised of FBI agents, and personnel from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
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.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITIONS:

Decarlo Knighten, 36, of La Porte, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 57 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Knighten possessed a Colt Python .357 magnum revolver at his residence. Knighten has two prior felony drug dealing convictions and one misdemeanor conviction.. This case was the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

James Tolson, 39, of Wabash, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 21 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, in March 2012, Tolson had in his possession a Hi-Point handgun in Wabash, Indiana.Tolson has previous convictions. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Brandon Jackson, 29, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hammond Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Percy Spurlock, 59, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Anthony Cerrillos, 45, of, East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 12 months imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release and restitution of $10,000.00 to Dean Foods after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to transport stolen goods that had a value in excess of $5,000.00.According to documents filed in this case, in August of 2011, Cerrillos and his brother, Brian Cerrillos, stole a refrigerated milk trailer from a dairy distributor in Hammond, Indiana. They then traveled to Illinois and sold the milk at different convenience stores for a profit. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hammond Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

Miguel Herrera-Torres, 32, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being found in the United States after having been deported following a conviction for an aggravated felony crime and not having obtained express consent to reapply for admission to the United States.Herrera-Torres will be subject to deportation upon release.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Armando Salinas.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Deangelo Copeland, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to the felony offenses of armed bank robbery and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Amanda McBride, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to the felony offense of maintaining a drug-involved premise. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Brandon Peters, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to the felony offense of robbery of a controlled substance and use of firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Sherriff’s Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Contrel Johnson, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to the felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Arturo DeLuna, 46, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to serve 37 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, DeLuna was involved in distributing kilograms of cocaine in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Nicholas Zimmerman, 29, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Roger B. Cosbey to 3 years of probation and serving 8 months on home detention after pleading guilty to the felony offense of receiving stolen property.According to documents filed in this case, the United States Marine Corps were notified of Zimmerman being in possession of a mortar artillery round. Zimmerman intended to keep the artillery for his own personal possession or for profit via selling. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Marines and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

John Bennett, 36, of Sturgis, Michigan was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to serve 21 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine use of a communication facility, telephone, to facilitate in conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, between July, 2011 and February, 2013, a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy existed and operated in northeastern Indiana and southern lower Michigan.Bennett was obtaining quantities of methamphetamine from individuals within the distributorship for distribution to his customers.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Safe Streets Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

Hammond, Indiana - United States Attorney David Capp announced the filing of a two count Information against Gary City Councilman Ronier Scott. Scott, 42, of Gary, was charged with willfully failing to file income tax returns for the 2008 and 2009 calendar years.Scott signed a plea agreement that was filed in conjunction with the Information.

These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gary Bell.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Information 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.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Tyrone Franklin, 34, of Michigan City, Indiana pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 3/6/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Brian W. Lindsey, 26, of La Porte, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by US Secret Service.Sentencing has been set for 3/6/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Frank Piatek, 72, of Elkhart, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 15 months imprisonment with 1 year supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of failure to register as a sex offender.According to documents filed in this case, upon his release from prison in Florida for child molesting, Piatek moved to Elkhart.Piatek took up residence at the Faith Mission, which also houses families with children.Piatek did not register in Indiana as a sex offender. This case was the result of an investigation by the US Marshals Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Dale Marshall, 54, of Logansport, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 6 months imprisonment with 2 of years supervised release (6 months of which under home detention) after pleading guilty to the felony offense of using a communication facility in causing or facilitating another felony.According to documents filed in this case, in July 2012, Marshall used a phone to facilitate a marijuana transaction.This case was the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

James Ryans, 41, of Union, Michigan was sentenced by District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. to 87 months imprisonment (27 months on his guilty plea to one count of making false statements to federal officers and 60 months on his guilty plea to one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, which sentence is consecutive to his 27 month sentence) and 3 years supervised release.According to documents filed in this case, Ryans participated in an international drug trafficking business. He helped distribute large quantities of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. When summoned to a federal grand jury in 2009, Ryans lied to investigators after volunteering to speak to them. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

INDICTMENT:

An Indictment returned on November 21, 2013 charged five individuals with identity theft:

Alexis Young, 31, of Hammond, Indiana was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of HIPPA violation and six counts of unlawful use and disclosure of Social Security Numbers;

Angela Young, 41, of Chicago Heights, Illinois was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft and three counts of aggravated identity theft;

Cynthia Mullins, 45, of Gary, Indiana was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft;

Montrease Young, 30, of Chicago, Illinois was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft; and

Chavon Jackson, 27, of Hammond, Indiana was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft.

These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

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.

PLEAS:

Claude Hunter, 57, of Schererville, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of sale of a firearm to a known felon.Sentencing has been set for 3/6/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Kenneth Sandidge, 54, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Terrance Winton, 49, of Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

George Van Til, 66, of Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to six counts of the felony offense of wire fraud.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Benson and Joshua Kolar.

Ronald Holmes, 47, of Griffith, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of violating a requirement of a pretreatment program approved by the EPA in that he caused the discharge of pollutants into the Hammond Sanitary District’s publicly-owned treatment works when he had not been issued a permit to do so.NH Environmental Group, Inc. also plead guilty to a misdemeanor information filed at the same time charging that they introduced and caused to be introduced, hauled and trucked pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works.Sentencing has been set for 3/14/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Tonja Muldrow, 34, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Michigan City Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Kevin Wilkerson, 39, formerly of Gary and Crown Point, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of bank robbery.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Gary Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Daniel Rivas, 34, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 46 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, Rivas took delivery of a shipment of drugs originating in Brownsville, Texas destined for Griffith, Indiana.The shipment contained 8 boxes, each containing approximately 35-50 pounds of marijuana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Roman Perez, 42, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to24 months of probation, 50 hours of community service and restitution of $26,417 after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making false statements on a tax return and making false statements in a bankruptcy proceeding.According to documents filed in this case, Perez understated his total taxable income by approximately $110,000 of which approximately $80,000 constituted payments from both the Lake County Treasurer and the Lake County Sheriff’s Commissary Fund to Roman Art Inc., a graphic design business owned by Perez.Perez also understated his gross income for the year 2009 by an amount in excess of $40,000 in a bankruptcy proceeding.This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Benson.

Lakita Lee, 36, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 16 months of probation (10 months of this probationary period to be served on home detention), restitution of $32,608 to the Social Security Administration and a $1,000 fine after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property.According to documents filed in this case, Lee was a Social Security representative payee for Marva Davis.Lee did not report to Social Security that Davis had died and continued to complete paperwork, signed under oath, stating that she was using the disability benefit funds for the benefit of Davis, instead Lee was using the funds for her own benefit.This case was the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Jose Lechuga-Carrasco, 39, of Cicero, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 37 months of imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute and distributing cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, law enforcement found approximately 500 grams of cocaine concealed in Lechuga-Carrasco’s car after a traffic stop in Hammond, Indiana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hammond Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

David Hernandez-Cervantes, 53, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 70 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, Hernandez-Cervantes attempted to sell kilogram quantities of 99.5% pure methamphetamine. He was working with others in a large-scale distribution of an extremely dangerous drug. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Roberto Ramirez Cardona, 55, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 70 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.According to documents filed in this case, US Postal inspectors identified a package as possibly containing narcotics based on size, weight, shape and mailing origin.After confirming this suspicion, the package was wired with a device that would allow law enforcement to track its location and opening.When the package was delivered and the transmitter indicated the package had been opened, Federal Agents executed a search warrant at Cardona’s residence, finding, in addition to the heroin, marijuana, $10,000.00 dollars in US currency, multiple cell phones and wire receipts. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Matthew Jasek, 31, of Demotte, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 51 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of child pornography.According to documents filed in this case, Jasek admitted that he possessed the equivalent of over 600 child pornography images and that he distributed some of the material through a file sharing program. He further admitted that he had been interested in child pornography for eight years, had received and possessed child pornography through several peer to peer file sharing programs, and had searched for child pornography as often as twice a week. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITIONS:

Glenda Brickey, 28, of Ligonier, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Theresa L. Springmann to 37 months imprisonment with 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, in December 2012, during a traffic stop, local law enforcement noticed suspicious behavior by Brickey.A drug canine alerted officers to a narcotic presence which led to a search of Brickey.During the search, a small amount of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe were discovered as well as additional drug evidence in the vehicle. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Darius Witherspoon, 20, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offenses of the armed bank robbery of Key Bank and G.W Jones Bank and carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 2/27/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Quintien Sinclair Walker, 22, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of making false statements during the acquisition of a firearm.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 3/5/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Duane Spears, Jr., 24, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer in the purchase of firearms.Sentencing has been set for 2/27/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Sonyinee Davis Pope, 39, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of making false statements to the United States Postal Service.Sentencing has been set for 2/6/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Diamond Toney, 19, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 84 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of use of a firearm during a crime of violence.According to documents filed in this case, Toney established an online relationship with her victim through a dating website. Toney and the victim arranged to meet in Merrillville. Toney and Dedrick Bufkin, armed with a gun, met the victim at the arranged site, tied him up with string and duct tape and ordered him into the trunk of his own vehicle.Toney and Bufkin took money, a cell phone and a wallet from the victim and held him captive in the trunk for approximately 5 hours before letting him go. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force and the Merrillville Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Eliezer Campuzano-Flores, 30, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to time served (47 days) after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor offense of knowingly eluding examination by immigration officials.This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEAS:

Efren Paniagua-Pizano, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Jose Noe Perea Casteneda, 40, of Goshen, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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.

DISPOSITION:

Gerardo Martinez-Gaston, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 6 months imprisonment (time served) and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

South Bend, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

DISPOSITIONS:

Harold Snyder, 20, of Bremen, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to 6 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor offense of obstructing the mail.According to documents filed in this case, during November and December of 2012, Snyder was a mail carrier and stole gift cards and cash from the mail. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

Tyran Lenard, 24, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio to 24 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, while investigating a domestic dispute, law enforcement officers discovered firearms in Lenard’s possession.Lenard has a 2011 conviction involving false statements and two misdemeanor convictions involving criminal conversion and resisting law enforcement. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Adam Snyder, 28, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 60 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case, in February 2013, Snyder used a peer-to-peer system known as Frostwire to download numerous images and videos that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Snyder had been downloading the material for years. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the United States Secret Service and the Kosciuscko County Sheriff’s Office.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Melvin Hillman, 77, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 2 years of supervised probation after being found guilty of the felony offense of impersonating foreign diplomats, consuls, or officers, wrongful use of government seals and instruments and receipt of a counterfeit government seal. According to documents filed in this case, in October 2011, local law enforcement pulled over a van with suspicious license plates. Police stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Hillman.Hillman led police to believe he was a foreign diplomat from the country of Mu’ur Republic, a country which was determined to be non-existent. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ken Hays.

Hammond, Indiana - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

INDICTMENTS: November 20, 2013

Octavio Casas-Garcia, 45, of Hammond, Indiana, was charged with illegal re-entry after removal for a felony conviction.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Benson.

Mark Bartell, 27, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

November 21, 2013

Schickell Best, 25, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gary Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Jermel Washington, 37, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession of an unregistered short barreled shotgun.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gary Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Carmalita Stewart-Cannon, 47, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gary Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Nathan Huey-Dingle, 32, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged with 2 counts of sex trafficking by threats of force and 2 counts of transporting across state lines with the intent to engage in prostitution.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

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.

PLEAS:

Shanise Kelley, 30, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of mail fraud.Sentencing has been set for 2/13/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Joshua Mijares, 34, of Griffith, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of unlawful re-entry after a previous formal deportation.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

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.

DISPOSITIONS:

Yohinnest Herrod, 23, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to one day, considered time served, and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making false statements in the purchase of three firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Jeffrey Youngheim, 47, of Portage, Indiana, and Richard Loveless, 52, Gary, Indiana, defendants in the case US v Chandler et al., were sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen this week.Youngheim and Loveless both pled guilty to the felony offense of wire fraud.Youngheim was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine.Loveless was sentenced to15 months of imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release and a $50,000 fine. According to documents filed in this case, Youngheim participated in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme designed to unjustly enrich himself and his business partner Loveless (among others) to the detriment of neighboring homeowners in Gary, Indiana and taxpayers generally. Individuals who were recruited to buy most of the houses sold in the scheme were first-time home buyers with little practical experience in the field of real estate and with limited to no familiarity with the Gary, Indiana real estate market. Nearly everything said to induce buyers to buy these houses was a lie. They were told the houses were good investments when in fact they were in disrepair. They were told the houses would be rehabilitated when in fact few, if any, of the necessary repairs were actually completed.Little effort was made to keep the promises after the first month or two of mortgage payments had been made. Youngheim and Loveless, and/or a trust held for the benefit of their joint business, Property Liquidators, Inc., owned five of the 25 properties sold in the scheme. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Carlos Canales, 34, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, Canales conducted several drug related transactions with several individuals over a one year period.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline Jacobs.

Fort Wayne, Indiana —The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA:

Rickey James. Sr., 55, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives .This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Keana Davis, 33, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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.

Hammond, Indiana - United State Attorney David Capp announced that former police officer John Smith, 56, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced today to 40 years imprisonment for using police credentials and firearms to protect drug shipments.

In June, 2013, Smith was found guilty at trial of the felony offenses of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, two counts of attempting to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, two counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a federal drug trafficking crime, and transferring firearms knowing that they would be used in a drug trafficking crime.

Smith had previously served as a police officer with three different Indiana departments:Brooklyn, Knightstown, and Stinesville.The conduct for which Smith was convicted occurred after he had left those departments.Smith, however, continued to illegally utilize his formerly issued police credentials in these drug transactions.

Terry Carlyle, a former Marshal with the Brooklyn, Indiana Police Department and police officer with the Indianapolis Police Department, was a co-conspirator with Smith.Carlyle, who cooperated with the government, was sentenced in September, 2013 to 10 years of imprisonment.

USA Capp stated, “We will continue to investigate public corruption, including police corruption, and will vigorously prosecute and, upon conviction, seek substantial sentences for officers, current or former, who abuse the public trust.”

These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indianapolis Field Office, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Indiana State Police, with the assistance of the ATF Chicago Field Office, the ATF Merrillville Field Office, the ATF HIDTA Task Force, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the East Chicago Police Department, and the Lake County Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Nozick and Gary Bell.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on May 22, 2013: Orlando Paschall, 22, and Devonte Travier, 19, both of Fort Wayne, Indiana, are charged in a two count Indictment with conspiracy to interfer with commerce by threat or violence and use, carry, brandish, and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence both occurring on or about November 13, 2012. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department and the New Haven Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
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.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on November 20, 2013: Jacob Miller, 50, of Auburn, Indiana, is charged in a five count Indictment with selling firearms to a known felon on or about March 28, 2013, April 15, 2013, June 14, 2013 and November 15, 2013, and dealing in firearms as an unlicensed dealer between on or about March
21, 2013, and continuing to on or about November 15, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of firearms and ammunition. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
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.

DESK: (219) 937-5603

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ CELL: (219) 314-9993

mary.hatton@usdoj.gov

Hammond, Indiana - United States Attorney David Capp announced that a Superseding Indictment was returned yesterday charging Jesus Valentin Fuentes, 39, of Chicago and East Chicago, Kiontay Kyare Pennington, 34, of Gary, Indiana, Oscar Cosme, 41, of East Chicago, Indiana andAdron Herschel Tancil, 36, of East Chicago, Indiana,for the May 16, 2003 murder of Julio Cartagena in East Chicago, Indiana.

The indictment alleges that Fuentes was one of the local leaders of the Two Six Nation, a violent criminal enterprise.In November 2003, Fuentes directed members of the Two Six to kidnap the family of Julio Cartagena (Cartagena was also a member of the Two Six), in an effort to recover a large quantity of cocaine stolen by Cartagena from Fuentes.Henderson, Pennington and other Two Six members allegedly kidnapped Cartagena’s children and mother of his children at gunpoint from their home in Hammond, Indiana.Hammond Police soon were able to rescue the family, none were harmed.

Thereafter, the indictment alleges that Fuentes directed Two Six members to kidnap Julio Cartagena.On May 16, 2003, Louis Henderson, Pennington, and Tancil, all alleged Two Six members, and Oscar Cosme, an associate of Henderson, shot and killed Cartagena in East Chicago during an attempted kidnapping.After the shooting these four individuals sped away in a vehicle driven by Henderson.The vehicle crashed and Henderson was killed.

Count 1 of the indictment charges Pennington, Tancil and Fuentes with murder in aid of racketeering and kidnapping.

Count 2 of the indictment charges Pennington, Cosme, Tancil and Fuentes with the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (distribution of cocaine) and crimes of violence (murder and kidnapping).

These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Merrillville Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Taskforce, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Chicago Police Department and the Hammond Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick.

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.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on November 20, 2013: Marvin L. Bennett, 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a single count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about October 21, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of a firearm and ammunition. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
Eddie L. Carlisle, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a single count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about September 14, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of a firearm and ammunition. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Preston R. Craig, 40, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a four count Indictment with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on or about October 25, 2013, profit from maintaining a drug involved premises from on or about October 23, 2013, to on or about October 25, 2013, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about October 25, 2013, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about October 25, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of a firearm and ammunition. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Bryant Davis, 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a single count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about October 21, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of firearms. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Robert D. Pearl, Jr., 40, of Marathon, Florida, is charged in a two count Indictment with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft from on or about October 2011, and continuing until on or about March 2012. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
Edward Williams, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a two count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about October 11, 2013 and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base “crack” on or about October 11, 2013. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of firearms, ammunition and magazine. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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.