Southern District of Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS – Russell Taylor, 50, Indianapolis, and his ex-wife, Angela Taylor (now known as Angela Baldwin), 40, Connersville, were sentenced today, ending a years-long child exploitation investigation into a conspiracy that involved Taylor, Baldwin, and Jared Fogle. Taylor was sentenced to 27 years in prison and Baldwin was sentenced to over 33 years in prison.

According to Court documents, the investigation into Taylor, Baldwin, and Fogle began in 2014, when an acquaintance of Taylor and Baldwin contacted the Indiana State Police to report that Taylor had offered to send her child sexual abuse material. In 2015, a search warrant was executed at the home that Taylor and Baldwin shared. Child sexual abuse material was discovered on multiple electronic devices and law enforcement officers concluded that there were likely hidden cameras in the house.

Taylor and Fogle were both charged, pled guilty, and convicted in 2015. Taylor appealed, and his conviction was vacated in 2020. During the subsequent re-investigation, investigators discovered evidence that implicated Baldwin, and she was charged with production of child sex abuse material, possession of child sex abuse material, and conspiracy to produce child sex abuse material.

According to court documents, between 2011 and 2015, Taylor and Baldwin worked together and with other individuals, including Jared Fogle, to produce, possess, and distribute child sexual abuse material. Taylor and Baldwin placed hidden cameras in their house to secretly record minor children fully nude and/or engaging in sexual activity. In addition to viewing the hidden camera footage, Taylor and Baldwin also distributed the sexually explicit images and videos to each other, to Fogle, and to other members of the conspiracy.

Taylor, who pled guilty in June 2021 to multiple offenses, including 24 counts of producing child sexual abuse material, was sentenced today to 324 months in federal prison.

Baldwin, who was convicted by a jury in October 2021 of two counts of production of child sexual abuse material, one count of conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material, was sentenced to 400 months in federal prison.

“The Taylors have finally been held accountable for their years of heinous sexual exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Child sexual abusers must be held accountable for the lifelong impact of these crimes on survivors and their families. The prosecutors, investigators, and analysts of Indiana’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will not relent in our mission to protect children from these offenders. I commend all of the dedicated professionals who fought to take these child predators out of our community and help to bring justice to their victims.”

“This case demonstrates the never-ending commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to seek justice for the victims of child sexual abuse,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “Russell Taylor and Angela Baldwin not only abused children by producing child sexual abuse material in their home, but also re-victimized children over and over again by contributing to the distribution of these images.  Sentences like this one send a clear message that adults who participate in this type of despicable abuse will be held responsible for their actions.”

“The collaborative work performed by the Indiana State Police, Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and our federal law enforcement partners helped to bring to justice those who sought to perpetuate the victimization of children”, said Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter.  “And for that, I am so proud and grateful for their tireless efforts.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that Taylor and Baldwin be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following their release from prison. Taylor and Baldwin will also be required by law to register as a sex offender wherever they live, work, or go to school.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn E. Olivier and Bradley P. Shepard who prosecuted this case.

Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

Additionally, this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – Gerald Hoye, 43, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child.

According to court documents, agents with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that sexually explicit images of a child had been sent from a child’s Facebook account to an adult’s Facebook account. Further information received from NCMEC showed sexually explicit conversations were taking place through Facebook Messenger between the child and the adult.

Law enforcement officers determined the adult was Hoye, a then-41-year-old truck driver living in Indianapolis. The child victim lived in another state and was under 16 years old. Hoye coerced and manipulated the child by offering her money in exchange for sexually explicit photos and videos. In September of 2019, Hoye traveled to the victim’s home and transported her to another state, where he engaged in illegal sexual conduct with the child.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Andrew M. Campion, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon. As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years following his release from prison and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victim. Hoye must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case.

In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – Eighteen individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracies to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, and to launder the proceeds of the distributed controlled substances. The indictment was unsealed today following the initial appearances of the defendants.

Yesterday, fifteen defendants were taken into federal custody in Indianapolis, Columbus, Seymour, Terre Haute, and Detroit, Michigan. Three other defendants are still at large. In addition, three individuals were detained for immigration violations.

To date in this investigation, authorities have seized approximately 82 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 1750 fentanyl pills, approximately 35 grams of fentanyl, approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, approximately 4 pounds of marijuana, and a large quantity of suspected THC gummies. In addition to drug seizures, authorities have seized approximately $9000.00 in U.S. currency as suspected drug proceeds as well as 9 firearms.

The Jackson County Prosecutors Office has also filed state charges against five additional defendants for dealing methamphetamine, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor has charged one additional defendant on a state charge for dealing methamphetamine.

The following individuals are in federal custody or *at large:

Defendant

Charge(s)

Edeer Avila, 38, Mexico *NOT in custody

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Martin Felix-Garcia, 33, Phoenix, AZ      *NOT in custody

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments     

Isaias Gonzalez-Torres, 30, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Erlin Lucero-Asencio, 29, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Abel Ayala-Garcia, 31, Columbus, IN

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Luis Daniel Hernandez, 24, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Andrew Calix-Maldonado, 27, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Julio Vicente-Guox, 33, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Eduardo Rodriguez, 25, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments

Kenia Acosta, 38, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine  

Jeami Waleska Sevilla-Luna, 27, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Victor Vazquez-Hernandez, 41, Seymour

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine  

Allison Perdue, 24, Seymour

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

John Whiffing, 47, Terre Haute

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Abner Rodas-Abelardez, 36, Indianapolis  *NOT in custody

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Claudio Garcia-Morales, 35, Columbus, IN

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Eulailo Murillo-Resura, 31, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Jendry Medina, 20, Indianapolis

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments

If convicted on the conspiracy with intent to distribute controlled substances charges, each faces between ten years to life imprisonment, no less than five years supervised release, and a $10,000,000 fine. If convicted on the money laundering charge, each faces a mandatory minimum of up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties.

The following five Individuals face state prosecution in Jackson County:

Defendant

Charge(s)

Emilio Landa-Laganes

Dealing methamphetamine F2

Mariah Crowe

Dealing methamphetamine F2

Daniel Parrish

Dealing methamphetamine F2

Samantha Farris

Dealing methamphetamine F2

Zachariah Farris

Dealing methamphetamine F2

The following individual faces state prosecution in Bartholomew County:

Defendant

Charge(s)

Antonio Cuautle-Cuenca 

Dealing methamphetamine F2

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Bryant Lucas, Chief of the Seymour Police Department made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seymour Police Department investigated the case in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Homeland Security Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office, the Columbus Police Department, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Bartholomew County Prosecutors Office, the Indiana State Police, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Brownsburg Police Department, and the Bloomington Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle P. Brady and Patrick G. Gibson, who are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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

EVANSVILLE – On April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Indiana returned an indictment charging James H. Cox, 44, of Robards, Kentucky, with ten counts of wire fraud. The indictment was unsealed late yesterday following the defendant’s arrest.

According to court documents, Cox was formerly employed as the Parts Manager for a business located in Evansville. Cox was responsible for ordering parts and logging them into inventory.  From approximately 2016 to 2020, Cox is alleged to have defrauded his employer by ordering parts that the business did not need, stealing the parts, selling them on eBay, and retaining the proceeds from the sales for his own personal benefit. Cox did not disclose to eBay or potential buyers that the products listed for sale were stolen. 

If convicted, Cox faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on each count. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties. The defendant was ordered detained in the custody of the United States Marshal pending a hearing scheduled for Friday, April 29, 2022.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Herbert Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, and Andrew M. Campion, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the USSS Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Secret Service are investigating the case. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Miller, who is prosecuting this case.

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

INDIANAPOLIS – April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana joins survivors, advocates, and communities nationwide in recommitting ourselves to this work: to believing survivors, strengthening prevention and education efforts, and holding offenders accountable.

The week of April 24 – 30 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the importance of not only finding justice for crime victims in the courtroom but enforcing victims’ rights and providing victims with access to the resources and services that can help them heal. We want to celebrate the progress achieved and raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands with those whose lives have been forever altered by crime and recognizes those in the district who assist the victims of crimes heal.

Today, at a ceremony held at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers recognized the following individuals and groups for their outstanding commitment to serving crime victims and pursuing excellence in victim services. U.S. Attorney Myers presented a plaque to each group and individual for their contribution to this effort.

• Detective David McDaniel, ATF Task Force Officer, IMPD
• IMPD Victim Assistance Unit
• IMPD Chaplain’s Office
• FBI Special Agent Andrew Willman
• IMPD Sergeant Linda Jackson
• Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Korobov

The Crime Victims’ Rights Act of 2004 (CVRA) increased victim involvement in the federal criminal justice system by guaranteeing them certain basic rights, such as the right to be informed of any court proceedings or parole proceedings, the right to speak at public court proceedings, and the right to confer with the government attorney assigned to their case. But the most fundamental right that it enumerated was the “right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy.” The CVRA helped restore power to survivors who often feel powerless in the aftermath of a serious crime.

More information can be found at the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022), which treats sexual assault as the serious violation it is and creates new programs and initiatives that provide survivors of sexual violence with increased access to services and justice

“Sexual violence comes in many forms and its effects are far reaching,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “I am so grateful for the passage of the VAWA 2022 and the positive impact it will have in caring for survivors. My office is committed to this effort and will hold offenders accountable for their actions, including those that use the online world to commit their crimes. As we fight on behalf of those who have been impacted by crime, it is fitting to recognize exemplary leaders and teams who bring justice and support to victims every day. Each of these awardees have made lasting contributions to bringing healing to victims and safety to our communities.”

The Southern District of Indiana is a national leader in the investigation and prosecution of sex crimes against children. For example, in fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced sexual violence, you are not alone and there are many services available to help, including the Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, you can find a local resources page on OVW’s website, which lists state sexual assault coalitions that can direct you to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.

INDIANAPOLIS – On April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Indiana returned a seventeen-count indictment charging Quintez Tucker, 18, of Indianapolis, D’Maurah Bryant, 19, of Indianapolis, and Robdarius Williams, 19, of Indianapolis with conspiracy and multiple robbery and firearms offenses relating to a series of eight armed robberies committed over the course of twenty-five days. The indictment was unsealed today following the arrest of all the defendants.

According to court documents, beginning on November 8, 2021, and continuing through December 3, 2021, Tucker, Bryant, Williams, and others, including at least two juveniles, committed eight armed robberies of cell phone stores in Indianapolis and Fishers. Tucker, Bryant, Williams, and others planned the robberies and decided what combination of individuals would commit the robbery. Upon entering the cell phone stores, the defendants brandished firearms and stole cell phones, cell phone accessories, and U.S. currency from the stores and their customers.

The eight stores affected by the robberies were:

• Verizon: 11760 Olio Road, Fishers IN
• T-Mobile: 1560 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN
• T-Mobile: 11725 Fox Road, Indianapolis, IN
• AT&T: 4850 Southport Road, Indianapolis, IN
• Verizon: 1950 Kessler Blvd. West Drive, Indianapolis, IN
• T-Mobile: 1155 East Stop 11 Road, Indianapolis, IN
• T-Mobile: 6929 W 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN
• AT&T: 8855 South Emerson Avenue, Indianapolis, IN

 

 

Each of the defendants is scheduled to make their initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Wednesday, April 27, at 1:30 p.m. If convicted on the robbery charges, each faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, for each count. If convicted of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each faces a mandatory minimum of seven years up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, for each count. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. The Fishers Police Department, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Marion County Prosecutors Office also provided valuable assistance.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lawrence D. Hilton and Kelsey Massa, who are prosecuting this case.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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

INDIANAPOLIS – Today the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clarksville, Indiana for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleges that the Town’s police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified law enforcement officer based on his Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis. The officer had been successfully working for the Town’s police department as a volunteer reserve officer for over a year and was fully qualified to work as a police officer.

“Every day, we depend on law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who are qualified and seek to serve their communities should not be subjected to unlawful discrimination. Individuals living with HIV are entitled to the full protection of our anti-discrimination laws. Our office will work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to ensure that those who seek to serve the public are not unlawfully discriminated against.”  

“No qualified individual should lose a hard-earned career opportunity because of misguided views about their disability that are not supported by medicine or science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The scientific community has agreed for years that an HIV diagnosis does not make an employee a risk to their colleagues or others. This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s firm commitment to protecting qualified workers, including those with HIV, from unlawful employment discrimination.”

Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Discrimination includes withdrawing a job offer to a qualified individual based on unsupported and stereotypical views of the applicant’s disability.

This case is being handled by the department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana based on a referral from the Indianapolis District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.

For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint at https://civilrights.justice.gov/. The complaint can be viewed here.

INDIANAPOLIS – Dorian LaCourse, 66, of Milford, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and making false statements. LaCourse is the former Chief of Police in the Village of Addyston, Ohio. LaCourse was indicted by a federal grand jury for using his law enforcement position to illegally help two federally licensed firearms dealers in Indiana acquire and resell approximately 200 fully automatic machine guns using false documents. The firearms dealers, Johnathan Marcum, 34, of Laurel, Indiana, and Christopher Petty, 58, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, previously pled guilty in separate cases to participating in the same conspiracy.

According to court documents, LaCourse, Marcum, and Petty, illegally exploited a law enforcement exception to the federal ban on the possession or transfer of fully automatic machine guns. As Chief of Police, LaCourse signed multiple “demonstration letters” falsely stating that the Village of Addyston Police Department was interested in purchasing various types of machine guns, including military-grade weapons, and asking that Marcum and or Petty give the demonstration. Marcum and Petty then sent the letters to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in order to obtain the weapons. Addyston is a village in southwestern Ohio of approximately 1,000 residents. LaCourse was the village’s only full-time police officer.

LaCourse also placed direct orders for German-made machine guns that were purported to be paid for by the Police Department. In fact, the purchases were fully funded by Marcum and Petty and intended to bypass restrictions on the importation of such weapons by anyone other than the police or the military.

The Addyston Police Department was never authorized to purchase any of the machine guns, and the Indiana gun dealers never provided any demonstrations of machine guns to the police department. Instead, the gun dealers resold the machine guns at a significant profit. In some instances, a gun dealer resold illegally acquired machine guns for five or six times the purchase price. The conspirators purchased or caused the importation of approximately 200 fully automatic machine guns. LaCourse received over $11,500 from the gun dealers for his role in the scheme.

LaCourse pleaded guilty to conspiracy, making false statements in records maintained by a federal firearms licensee, and making false statements to the ATF. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Marcum and Petty have both pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and each faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Actual sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors and are typically less than the maximum penalties. Each of the three men will be sentenced at a later date.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Travis S. Riddle, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Columbus Field Division made the announcement.

The ATF investigated the case.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Warden and William L. McCoskey, who are prosecuting this case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Chicago Gun Trafficking Strike Force and has prioritized investigation and prosecution of gun trafficking crimes. On July 22, 2021, the Department of Justice launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. These gun trafficking strike forces are designed to ensure coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region and Washington, D.C.

INDIANAPOLIS – Two men have pleaded guilty to federal crimes for their roles in paying and receiving secret political contributions through a middleman. Today, a former Indianapolis-based casino executive pleaded guilty to causing the casino company to make false statements on its federal tax return by concealing contributions to a local political party as deductible business expenses. Last week, a former Indiana State Senator, charged in the same indictment, pleaded guilty to two charges: using sham donors to receive illegal contributions into his campaign for U.S. Congress, and making false statements to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to court documents, John Keeler, 72, of Indianapolis, Indiana, former vice president and general counsel of Indiana-based casino company New Centaur LLC, paid $41,000 in New Centaur corporate funds to Maryland-based political consultant Kelley Rogers and directed him to funnel $25,000 to a local political party committee in Marion County, Indiana. To further conceal the nature of the contribution, Keeler caused New Centaur’s federal tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service to falsely describe the $41,000 payment to Rogers as a deductible business expense.

Also, according to court documents, Darryl Brent Waltz, 48, of Greenwood, Indiana, a former Indiana State Senator and 2016 candidate for U.S. Congress, worked with Rogers to funnel $40,500 in illegal conduit contributions to his congressional campaign.  Rogers directed corporate funds from New Centaur into the “Brent Waltz for Congress” campaign through over a dozen straw donors and Waltz himself. Waltz pleaded guilty to receiving these fictitious donations. Waltz also pleaded guilty to lying to and misleading FBI agents who were investigating the illegal contributions.

Keeler faces up to three years in prison, and Waltz faces up to ten years in prison. Their actual sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties. Both men will be sentenced by Judge James R. Sweeney II at a later date.

The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Steven D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago made the announcement.

U.S. Attorney Myers and A.A.G. Polite thanked Bradley P. Shepard, Senior Litigation Counsel for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and William J. Gullotta and John P. Taddei, Trial Attorneys in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, for their work prosecuting the cases.

INDIANAPOLIS – Maria Caceres, 56, of Coral Springs, Florida and formerly of Hamilton County, Indiana, was sentenced late yesterday to 30 months in federal prison following her conviction of wire fraud, to which she had previously plead guilty.

According to court records, Caceres was employed by Seven Corners, a travel insurance business located in Carmel. Between May 2011 and September 2016, Caceres prepared and submitted thirty fraudulent insurance claims to Seven Corners totaling more than $650.000. As part of the scheme, Caceres and her accomplices created fictitious names under which they purchased insurance policies from the victim company. Caceres and her accomplices created false email addresses in the name of a hospital in Venezuela and submitted claims to the victim company for purported emergency medical services provided to the fictitious individuals during international travel. In fact, none of these expenses were ever incurred and Caceres had created artificial customer accounts and false documents in support of the claims. As a result of the fraud, the victim company paid over $588,000 to accounts controlled by Caceres’ accomplices.  

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for one year following her release from prison. Caceres was also ordered to pay over $496,000.00 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Warden and Bradly P. Shepard who prosecuted this case.

INDIANAPOLIS – Darryl Brent Waltz, 48, of Greenwood, Indiana, pled guilty in federal court today to two felonies: making and receiving conduit contributions, and making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Waltz faces up to five years in prison for each offense.  He will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II at a later date.

The announcement was made by Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Steven D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Trial for the other individual charged in the case, John S. Keeler, is scheduled to begin on April 18, 2022.  Mr. Keeler is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INDIANAPOLIS – Rodney Varela, 38, of Columbus, Indiana, was sentenced late yesterday to twenty years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on March 10, 2020, Varela was found to be in possession of approximately 135 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded pistol while driving his vehicle.  After further investigation, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Varela’s residence where agents seized approximately 700 grams of pure methamphetamine and five additional firearms.

Varela has numerous prior felony convictions in California and Indiana and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was also on parole at the time of the offense.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Matthew A. Myers, Sheriff of Bartholomew County, and Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.

 

INDIANAPOLIS – Jeffrey Gasior, 39, of Carmel, Indiana was sentenced to two years in federal prison today for bank fraud offenses related to his work at an advertising and public relations agency based in Indianapolis.

According to court documents, Gasior was hired by the company as its Vice President of Digital. Gasior oversaw sales, strategy development, coordination, and analysis of digital advertising on behalf of the company’s clients. Gasior also had access to the company’s credit cards to purchase media on behalf of clients and to request reimbursement for expenses.

From October 2018 through August 2019, Gasior devised and executed a complex scheme to steal money from the company by receiving payments that he was not entitled to. Among other things, Gasior created false invoices and expense reports and redirected payments to purported vendors to his personal bank account. As a result of the false and fraudulent representations and documentation, Gasior diverted over $736,000 of the company’s funds to himself and others.

“Local businesses are the backbone of our communities and our economy,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “To satisfy his own greed, Mr. Gasior exploited the trust placed in him and his expertise by the victim company. His criminal conduct showed no regard for the company or its reputation. Anyone involved in committing such crimes must be held accountable. I commend the United States Secret Service, Indiana State Police, and the prosecution team for their hard work in bringing this offender to justice.”

“The Secret Service remains committed to pursuing those who abuse their position of authority to violate the public’s trust and defraud our community,” said USSS Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Campion. “Through the hard work and stalwart partnerships between the Secret Service, Indiana State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gasior will be held accountable for his criminal actions.”

“Indiana State Police investigators work diligently every day, all across Indiana, and in close collaboration with its law enforcement partners, to help bring to justice those who seek to perpetuate the victimization of others for their own personal gain”, said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter.

The United States Secret Service and the Indiana State Police investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. As part of the sentence, Judge Barker ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 30 months following his release from prison, including 12 months of home detention. Gasior was also ordered to pay $736,221.06 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum who prosecuted this case.

INDIANAPOLIS – Manuel J. Bojorquez, 44, of Anaheim, California, was sentenced to 36 months of probation, with 18 months to be served on home confinement, and ordered to pay over $3.3 million in restitution for offering and paying kickbacks to physicians to prescribe compounded medications.

According to court documents, Bojorquez was the owner and operator of MD Medical Distribution LLC d/b/a DynaMD, a California-based company. Beginning in 2013, and continuing through 2016, Bojorquez served as a marketer for various Indiana-based compounding pharmacies. Compounding typically involves the preparation of medication by combining and mixing different types and dosages of ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient and for which there is no equivalent form commercially available.

Bojorquez used his marketing company to funnel millions of dollars to Chicago-based physicians, in exchange for their referral of prescriptions to the Indiana-based pharmacies. Bojorquez and his marketing company received a percentage of the money paid for those kickback-induced prescriptions. The United States Department of Labor – Office of Workers Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) paid over $8 million for those kickback-induced prescriptions. The DOL-OWCP is a federal health care benefit program that serves a variety of federal employees.

“Paying kickbacks in exchange for the referral of federally covered prescriptions is a serious crime,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The defendant chose to illegally enrich himself by exploiting our healthcare system. These crimes increase healthcare costs for everyone covered by the programs. The sentence imposed today shows that our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover these schemes and hold those who execute them accountable.”

“This sentencing should send a clear message to healthcare providers that the government is vigilantly protecting federal benefit programs from corruption and fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Andre Martin of United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG appreciates our law enforcement partners for their commitment and efforts in this investigation. The USPS OIG will continue to vigorously investigate those who engage in activities to defraud federal benefit programs and the U.S. Postal Service.”

“This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit fraud or pay kickbacks will not get away with their illegal actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always work together to investigate allegations of health care fraud and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”

“Mr. Bojorquez committed fraud against an important government healthcare program, and corrupted the objectivity of the physicians involved,” said Justin Campbell, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office. “The IRS is pleased to join our partners in holding Mr. Bojorquez accountable.”

This case is the last of a series of related civil and criminal compounding medication investigations conducted in this district over the course of the last four years, all investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service; and the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The results of the investigations include the previous conviction of an Indianapolis chiropractor for paying and receiving kickbacks, and an agreed payment of over $4 million by owners of Indiana-based compounding pharmacies to health care programs.

The Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service also provided invaluable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy J. Cho who prosecuted this case.

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the Justice Department found that the Indiana State Board of Nursing (Nursing Board) violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by prohibiting nurses who take medication to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) from participating in the Indiana State Nursing Assistance Program. The program assists in rehabilitating and monitoring nurses with substance use disorders, and is often required for these nurses to maintain an active license or have one reinstated. The letter of findings asks the Nursing Board to work with the Justice Department to resolve the civil rights violations identified during the course of its investigation.

The department opened an investigation in response to a complaint from a nurse alleging that she was denied participation in the State Nursing Assistance Program because she takes prescribed medication for OUD. The investigation corroborated that the Nursing Board prohibits program participants from using OUD medication and that tapering the nurse off her medication would come with a significant risk of relapse and harm.

“Opioid Use Disorder is a difficult disease that impacts people in every occupation. Patients must not be forced to choose between medically approved treatments and their livelihoods,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “We will work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to ensure that the Americans with Disabilities Act is appropriately enforced.”

“Recovery and monitoring programs must allow individuals to use proven medications that support their recovery, including prescribed medications that treat Opioid Use Disorder,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Refusing to allow individuals to participate in a required support program because of their disabilities violates the ADA and makes it harder for individuals to secure and maintain jobs and livelihoods. Removing discriminatory barriers to employment is an important priority of the Civil Rights Division.”

Methadone and buprenorphine (including brand names Subutex and Suboxone) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat OUD. According to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), methadone and buprenorphine help diminish the effects of physical dependency on opioids. When taken as prescribed, these medications are safe and effective.

Under Title II of the ADA, the department provided the Nursing Board with written notice of the supporting facts for these findings and the remedial measures necessary to address them.  For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. The letter can be viewed here.

INDIANAPOLIS – Irving Gomez, a/k/a John Mendez-Rodriquez, 29, of Indianapolis, was sentenced late yesterday to 303 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to committing three commercial robberies and brandishing a firearm during those crimes of violence.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2021, Gomez entered an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store in Indianapolis, brandished a loaded rifle at the employees, and demanded money from the store’s safe and registers. After receiving the money, Gomez fled the business. The employees at the store recognized the robber as possibly being Irving Gomez, a former employee. 

On February 6, 2021, Gomez entered a CVS in Indianapolis, brandished a rifle at an employee and demanded money from the cash register. Gomez hit the employee several times with the muzzle of the rifle when the employee did not immediately comply with his demands. The employee then opened the cash register drawer, and Gomez fled the store with the stolen money.

On March 1, 2021, Gomez returned to the same O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Indianapolis wearing the same clothing he wore during his previous robbery of the store. Gomez again brandished a rifle and demanded money from employees. During the robbery, an employee grabbed the rifle and pinned Gomez against a nearby wall, leading Gomez to lose control of the rifle. Gomez then grabbed a metal rod from the wall and struck the employee over the head multiple times. During the struggle Gomez brandished a pocketknife and attempted to stab the employee, but the employee was able to disarm Gomez. Gomez then threatened the employee by telling him that he would kill him and his family if he did not let him go. Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrived and took Gomez into custody.

Evidence was presented during the sentencing hearing that the defendant committed two additional robberies of CVS stores in the Indianapolis area on January 30 and February 20, 2021, and Gomez was ordered by the Court to pay restitution to those establishments.

“Mr. Gomez chose to engage in a series of violent attacks against innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to concentrate our efforts on identifying and arresting those individuals that commit or threaten violence while engaging in this type of illegal activity. The serious sentence imposed today should send a message that violent offenders who disrupt the safety of our communities will be held accountable for their actions.”

“I would like to thank the IMPD officers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for getting Mr. Gomez off the streets of Indianapolis. A violent perpetrator is behind bars, and our community safer because of their due diligence and hard work,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “This case is just the latest example of the value our federal partners bring to fighting violent crime. May the affected families get the peace they deserve.”

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney II ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison and was ordered to pay $4,325.00 in restitution, reflecting losses relating to five separate robberies.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton who prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

INDIANAPOLIS – Carl Lee, 45, of Indianapolis, was recently sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

According to court documents, in June 2018, federal and local law enforcement were investigating the drug trafficking activities of Lee. Lee was selling large quantities of crystal methamphetamine in and around the Indianapolis area. Lee supplied roughly a pound of methamphetamine to various individuals who would then sell the drug to their customers. Between September 2016 and May 2018, Lee repeatedly utilized nominees to send the drug proceeds back to his California based source of supply. Lee was assisted in his drug trafficking activities by his brother, Lewis Thurman, who was charged separately, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his related drug trafficking activity.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Justin Campbell, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Carmel Police Department investigated this case. The Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady who prosecuted this case.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

INDIANAPOLIS – Matthew O. Walker, 28, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child.

According to court documents, Walker sexually exploited 3 Indiana children and 2 children from South Carolina. Walker first came to the attention of federal authorities in the fall of 2019, when Walker had engaged in sexually explicit Snapchat communications with two minor boys in the Southern District of Indiana. Walker misrepresented himself on Snapchat as a teenage girl, persuading minors to create and send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Walker threatened the minors that he would distribute these images and videos of these minors to their respective families if they did not do as he instructed.

Federal investigators discovered that Walker was living in Georgia. With assistance from law enforcement there, a search warrant was executed at Walker’s residence. Evidence was seized and Walker admitted to communication with multiple underage boys online. Walker also admitted to receiving child sexual abuse material through Snapchat and other social media platforms. Walker pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in a plea that incorporated his criminal conduct against three Indiana children and others.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton made the announcement.

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney ordered that Walker be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years following his release from federal prison and ordered Walker to pay $10,000 in restitution to each of the minor victims. Walker must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case.

In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – Stephen King, 66, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison yesterday, after pleading guilty to dealing firearms without a federal firearms license.

According to court documents, in August 2020, law enforcement officers in Chicago recovered firearms connected to crimes committed in Chicago. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agents in Chicago and Indianapolis discovered that the guns had been purchased by King in Indianapolis four days prior to being recovered by law enforcement officers in Chicago.

King’s email account revealed he had purchased and then unlawfully re-sold approximately 167 firearms between April 12, 2020, and September 2, 2020. King purchased 38 firearms from various Federal Firearm Licensees. King purchased the remaining 129 firearms online from private sellers using online platforms such as Armslist.com and Facebook. King illegally resold approximately 100 of these guns within three days of purchasing them. As of the date of his sentencing, 24 firearms bought and resold by King have been recovered by investigators in connection to crimes including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm, and firearms trafficking.

Evidence uncovered during the investigation showed that King obtained over $9,900 in profits from his illegal firearms sales. King is prohibited from engaging in the business of selling firearms and ammunition because he is not licensed to do so.

“Illegal trafficking of deadly weapons drives the violence plaguing our communities. Those who choose to knowingly and unlawfully introduce firearms into the underground gun economy will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Combatting illegal gun trafficking is a top priority of the Department of Justice as we work to reduce violent crime throughout the country. Together with our federal, state, and local partners, my office is committed to stemming the tide of illegal guns pouring onto our streets and those of our neighbors.” 

“The individuals who funnel firearms to prohibited persons directly contribute to violence in our community,” stated Timothy Canon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our partners to stop the flow of firearms from legal to illegal commerce.”

The ATF investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that King be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 2 years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Massa who prosecuted this case.

This case was part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Chicago Gun Trafficking Strike Force. On July 22, 2021, the Department of Justice launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. These gun trafficking strike forces are designed to ensure coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region and Washington, D.C.

Additionally, this case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

INDIANAPOLIS – Carl Young, Jr., 41, of Indianapolis, appeared in federal court today to face charges of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on February 16, 2022, Young was arrested by officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department after allegedly stealing a vehicle, fleeing from police, and crashing into another car. The occupants of the other vehicle were ejected during the crash and suffered serious injuries. Young allegedly had cocaine, approximately six pounds of marijuana, and a loaded shotgun inside the stolen vehicle, which police seized. Young has numerous prior felony convictions, including three convictions for operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person within the last three years.

If convicted on the new federal charges, Young faces up to 20 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, up to 5 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, up to 10 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and up to life in prison for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor and ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division, Timothy Canon, made the announcement.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Pamela S. Domash, who is prosecuting the case.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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

INDIANAPOLIS – Following a federal trial, a jury convicted Demetrius Jackson, 26, of Indianapolis, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in late January of 2021, federal agents learned that Jackson was trafficking in methamphetamine and was willing to sell a firearm to another drug dealer. Jackson has numerous prior felony convictions, including battery resulting in bodily injury, and is not legally able to possess a firearm. The jury returned its verdict late Tuesday.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and officers with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF) executed a search warrant at Jacksons residence. Investigators seized a loaded handgun, a rifle, approximately eight pounds of marijuana, and more than $10,000 in U.S. currency. Further investigation into the matter by the ATF reveled that Jackson had been distributing methamphetamine to individuals in Indianapolis since at least October 2020.

Jackson will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton-Pratt at a later date and faces a mandatory 15 years up to life in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division, Timothy Canon, made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration also provided valuable assistance.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). ICGTF is partnership of law enforcement officers and analysts from several central Indiana law enforcement agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties. In cooperation with state, local, and federal partners, ICGTF collaborates to address violent crime through a comprehensive strategy including innovative approaches to locating suspects and evidence related to violent crimes and illegal possession of firearms.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

INDIANAPOLIS – Gary Tinsley, 47, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after being found guilty following a jury trial for armed bank robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and evidence presented a trial, on May 13, 2019, Tinsley and his accomplice entered the Stock Yards Bank & Trust in Carmel armed with a firearm. They provided a demand note to the teller announcing a robbery, zip tied the tellers, and stole approximately $67,000 in U.S. currency. Further investigation and evidence collected at the bank later identified Tinsley as one of the robbery suspects and the owner of a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car during the bank robbery.

On September 17, 2019, Tinsley exited his residence and left in his vehicle. Tinsley was stopped by police a short time later and was in possession of three loaded handguns, and five additional fully loaded magazines. Tinsley was also in possession of marijuana and methamphetamine at the time of the stop. Tinsley is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction for murder in Marion County, Indiana in January 1993.

A search warrant was executed at Tinsley’s residence and five additional firearms were seized, along with zip ties and clothing used in the robbery, and an additional amount of marijuana.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations Indiana Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. The Carmel Police Department and the Indiana State Police also provided valuable assistance.  The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.  As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison. Tinsley was also ordered to pay $67,455.15 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. Hilton and Lindsay E. Karwoski who prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

INDIANAPOLIS – James Lancaster, 40, of Indianapolis, the former manager of customer service at Indianapolis’ New Augusta Post Office, has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail. The charges against Lancaster were unsealed late yesterday. On March 1, 2022, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Indiana returned an indictment charging Lavaris Yarbrough, 26, of Calumet City, Illinois, and Jordan McPhearson, 30, of Blue Island, Illinois, with bank fraud and conspiring with Lancaster to commit bank fraud.

According to court documents, between May 11, 2020, and June 23, 2021, Lancaster used his position at the Post Office to steal checks from the mail. Lancaster gave the stolen checks to McPhearson, sometimes receiving cash in exchange. McPhearson fraudulently negotiate the stolen checks, depositing them into an account belonging to someone other than the intended payee. Occasionally, McPhearson provide stolen checks to Yarbrough who fraudulently negotiate them.

Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Lancaster stole more than 270 pieces of U.S. mail from the New August Post Office. This mail contained checks from more than 50 different local businesses. In total, the value of the stolen checks was around $1.7 million.

If convicted, Lancaster, Yarbrough and McPhearson each face up to 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  Lancaster also faces up to 5 years in prison for theft of mail. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“Public service is a public trust, and Government officials who violate that trust to defraud and steal from the public—and those who conspire with them—must be held accountable.”  said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Our office will continue to work closely with the Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service to investigate and prosecute mail theft schemes.”

Special Agent-in-Charge Andre Martin, Central Area Field Office, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General said, “Today’s charges represent our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to maintain the integrity and trust in the U.S. Mail. The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination. The USPS OIG, along with the U.S. Attorney's Office, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General is investigating the case. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service also provided valuable assistance.

An indictment or information are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INDIANAPOLIS – A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Indiana returned an indictment late yesterday charging Dreshaun Carter, 25, of Indianapolis with crimes related to the distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on February 1, 2022, Carter was arrested on federal charges of distribution of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence and seized 19 firearms, body armor, approximately 600 grams of fentanyl, approximately two kilograms of cocaine and crack cocaine, approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately $90,000 in U.S. currency. Carter was serving a sentence with Marion County Community Corrections for a prior felony drug trafficking conviction at the time of his federal arrest.

If convicted on the new federal charges, Carter faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment for distribution of methamphetamine and intent to distribute cocaine, up to life in prison if convicted on each count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and up to 10 years if convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Carter also faces a mandatory minimum of five years up to life in prison if convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“Deadly drugs and deadly weapons fuel violence and suffering in our communities. My office will focus our efforts on identifying armed, repeat offenders engaged in serious new offenses and holding them accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “This prosecution shows that we will work tirelessly and together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to make our communities safer.”

“Dealing drugs laced with lethal fentanyl is unacceptable and is a large reason 285 Americans are dying every day,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Michael Gannon. “Drug dealers who distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, in addition to an array of firearms while on house arrest must be held accountable. DEA commends the outstanding work that was done in this investigation by the DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the Metro Drug Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana. DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners to keep our communities safe.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Pamela S. Domash, who is prosecuting the case.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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

EVANSVILLE – Davontai Jones-Robinson, 25, of Evansville, Indiana, and Trinity Taylor, 27, of Prattville, Alabama, were sentenced to federal prison late yesterday for the armed robbery of three different convenience stores. The robberies took place in under fourteen hours on August 13 and 14, 2020 in Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties. The men were each sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison for federal offenses including commercial robbery, conspiracy, and related firearms offenses.

As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted that on the evening of August 13, 2020, Taylor drove Jones-Robinson to a Kwik Stop convenience store in Evansville. Jones-Robinson entered the store with a rifle, brandished the firearm at the clerk, and stole an unknown quantity of cash and cigarettes from the business. During the robbery, Taylor circled the store in the getaway car he had rented from Alabama three days earlier. After the robbery, Jones-Robinson returned to the car with the rifle and robbery proceeds and fled with Taylor. The two men split the proceeds and, according to Jones-Robinson, spent them at the Tropicana Casino.

Hours later, early in the morning of August 14, 2020, Taylor drove Jones-Robinson to a Circle K convenience store in Evansville. Again, Jones-Robinson entered the store with a rifle and brandished the firearm at the clerk. Jones-Robinson demanded that the clerk open the cash register and then stole an unknown quantity of cash and cigarettes. Taylor again waited nearby in the getaway car. After the second robbery, the two men fled from the scene together and split the proceeds of the robbery.

Several hours after the second robbery, in the late morning of August 14, 2020, Taylor drove Jones-Robinson to a Chuckles convenience store in Elberfield, Warrick County. Again, Jones-Robinson entered the store with a rifle and brandished the firearm at the clerk. Taylor again waited nearby in the getaway car. After the third robbery, the two men again fled from the scene together and split the proceeds of the robbery.

That afternoon, law enforcement officers located Taylor driving the car he had rented and used as the getaway car in each of the three robberies. At the time, Taylor was in possession of nearly $300 in U.S. currency.

Very early in the morning of August 15, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an Evansville residence shared by Jones-Robinson, Taylor, and another individual. Investigators seized clothing apparently worn by Jones-Robinson during the three robberies. Around the same time, law enforcement officers located Jones-Robinson. Jones-Robinson disclosed the location of the rifle he used to commit the robberies, and investigators seized it along with cash from Jones-Robinson’s car that were a portion of the proceeds of the robberies.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations Indiana Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. The Evansville Police Department, Warrick County Sheriff’s Department, and the Indiana State Police also provided valuable assistance. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendants be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following their release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.

INDIANAPOLIS – Roberto Cruz-Rivera, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after being found guilty of failing to register as a sex offender following a federal trial.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2000, Cruz-Rivera was arrested for a rape and assault he committed in a Staten Island, New York cemetery. During the rape he stabbed the woman’s face and chest, puncturing her lung. The rape victim was with another person at the cemetery, and Cruz-Rivera stabbed that victim in the head and hand. Cruz-Rivera was convicted of rape and assault in New York and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. As a result of these convictions, he was required to register as a sex offender wherever he lived or worked. Cruz-Rivera was released from a New York prison in 2016.

After his release from prison, Cruz-Rivera moved to Indianapolis. Between September 2017 and March 2020, Cruz-Rivera worked at multiple locations in Indianapolis, including the Indiana Convention Center, the JW Marriot, a Sheraton hotel, and Warren Township’s Hawthorne Elementary School. Cruz-Rivera never registered as a sex offender while living and working in Indiana, in violation of federal law.

“Federal and Indiana law require certain sex offenders to register with the state. Sex offender registration laws are an important tool for the protection of the public,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Offenders who choose to violate our sex offender registration laws while living and working in Indiana will be held accountable.”

“The U.S. Marshals are the lead federal agency for sex offender violations,” said Dan McClain, U.S. Marshal, Southern District of Indiana. “Protecting the public from offenders is among my top priorities and I’m pleased with the outcome of this case.”

The United States Marshals Service investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton-Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that Cruz-Rivera be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison and that he comply with sex offender registry laws.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Eakman and James Warden who prosecuted this case.

INDIANAPOLIS – Ryan Hickey, 34, of Indianapolis was sentenced to over 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to court documents, on January 30, 2021, Hickey made a purchase at Boyden’s Southside Bakery on south Meridian Street. He left the business after his purchase but returned to its back door a short time later. After knocking on the door, he was greeted by two female employees. Hickey brandished a gun at the employees, announced he was robbing the business, and fired a shot between the employees into the kitchen.

Another employee at the front of the bakery heard the gunshot, saw Hickey walking towards the front of the business, and immediately retrieved her own gun. Hickey demanded money at the cash register where there was a brief struggle between Hickey and the employee with the gun. Hickey then fled through the backdoor of the business. A customer at the bakery saw what was happening and gave chase, eventually catching Hickey. After a brief struggle, Hickey pulled a firearm from his pocket and threatened to shoot the customer in the head. Hickey ran away and fled in a car, but not before the victim observed the license plate number.

A witness across the street saw what was happening at the bakery and the struggle between Hickey and the customer. The witness followed Hickey as he fled in the car and provided police with the license plate number and description of the driver and car. A short time later, police located the unoccupied car at a residence. Hickey exited the residence and returned to the vehicle but ran back into the residence after seeing police outside.

After a standoff with police, Hickey exited from the residence and was placed into custody. Hickey admitted to robbing the bakery. A search warrant was executed at the residence and police recovered the semiautomatic pistol used in the robbery. Hickey has numerous prior felony convictions, including armed robbery and dealing in a controlled substance.

“The people of our community should not have to fear armed, violent criminals as they simply try to do their jobs or patronize a business. Repeat offenders engaged in gun crimes will face serious consequences for their actions. Working closely with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners to help stem the tide of violent crime in Indianapolis is a top priority in the Southern District of Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The sentence imposed today should demonstrate to the public, and to the defendant, that we will work vigorously to protect the public and hold those who commit violent crimes accountable.”

“This is yet another example of the value our federal partners bring to fighting violent crime in Indianapolis,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “I am grateful for the work our detectives, federal investigators, and federal prosecutors put into this case as well as their continued collaboration.”

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney II ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

INDIANAPOLIS – Oyedele Aro Benjamin, 27, of Chicago was sentenced to two years in federal prison today for his role in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme. A BEC is a sophisticated scheme targeting both businesses and individuals performing a transfer of funds. The scam is frequently carried out when a criminal steals money by illegally gaining access to legitimate business email accounts. This is often accomplished through computer intrusion techniques (“hacking”) and tricking victims into providing criminals access to their accounts (social engineering”).

According to court documents, in September 2018, Benjamin traveled to Indianapolis to deposit a $300,000 check at Regions Bank. The United States Postal Inspection Service determined that the check was obtained through a BEC scam that victimized two Louisiana companies. A scammer, posing via email as a representative from one of the victim companies, tricked that victim company into sending a $300,000 check intended for the second company to an address in Chicago. 

Benjamin received the check in Chicago and then traveled to Indianapolis to open a business bank account at a Regions Bank branch. He opened the account using a fictitious name and business by presenting a fraudulent driver’s license and fraudulent business registration information. The fictitious business name was similar to the actual name of the victim business that was the intended recipient of the stolen $300,000 check. The next day, Benjamin deposited the $300,000 check in the fraudulent bank account. Regions Bank was alerted to the fraud and able to stop and reverse payment prior to any money being withdrawn.

The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney II also ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum who prosecuted this case.

INDIANAPOLIS – A Bartholomew County man was sentenced to over 27 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and attempted sexual exploitation of a child.

According to court documents, Jordan Fields, 21, of Columbus, Indiana, sexually exploited children in Indiana and California, and admitted to other acts of exploitation against unknown minors. Fields first came to the attention of federal authorities in the fall of 2020, when law enforcement in California notified authorities in Indiana that Fields had engaged in sexually explicit Snapchat communications with a 13-year-old boy in California.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation and executed a search warrant at Fields’ home on Nov. 13, 2020. Fields was initially arrested on state charges of child solicitation and possession of child pornography. A team from the Indiana State Police, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI reviewed evidence seized from Fields’ home, and Fields was arrested on federal sexual exploitation charges in March of 2021. 

Fields admitted to communication with multiple underage boys online and admitted to receiving child sexual abuse material through Snapchat and Omegle. Fields pled guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child for his victimization of three southern Indiana children.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Bartholomew County Sheriff Matthew A. Myers made the announcement.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff Office investigated the case. The Indiana State Police, the Bartholomew County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years following his release from federal prison and ordered Fields to pay $10,000 each to four minor victims.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case.

In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 19, 2022, charging an Alabama man with interstate travel for the purpose of committing a crime of violence. The indictment was unsealed today following the defendant’s arrest in Birmingham, Alabama. 

According to court documents, on or about October 28 and 29, 2021, Tommy Lee Harrison, Sr., 37, of Birmingham, Alabama, traveled from Alabama to Fayette County, Indiana, to commit arson.

Harrison is charged with one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises. The defendant will make his initial court appearance in the Northern District of Alabama before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Harrison will make his initial court appearance in the Southern District of Indiana at a later date. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“Interstate travel to commit arson is a very serious offense that poses a significant danger to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Anyone involved in committing such crimes must be held accountable. I commend the FBI and the prosecution team for their hard work to uncover the facts in this continuing investigation.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who is prosecuting the case.

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

INDIANAPOLIS – Recently, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.

“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”        

“While the threats our fellow citizens face are many and varied, because of the physical and emotional toll human trafficking offenses take on vulnerable victims, these cases deserve our purposeful focus,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to focus our efforts on seeking justice for vulnerable victims and holding traffickers and those who prey on trafficking victims accountable. We will expand our   collaboration with victims and the organizations that serve them to help get them the services and support they need. Whether the survivor is a child or an adult, no human being deserves to be coerced into commercial sex for the benefit of another.”

The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017. U.S. Attorney Myers has appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Hilton to serve as the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Southern District of Indiana. Hilton will continue to build on the district’s strong foundation of investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases throughout the Southern District.

Working closely with law enforcement, prosecution, and probation partners, as well as victim-service providers and child protection agencies, the Southern District of Indiana has successfully prosecuted multiple sex trafficking cases. This includes work with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Whitestown Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and Homeland Security. Notable results include the following:

• United States v. James Young resulted in a 26-year prison sentence for the primary trafficker of four minors. Raheem Simmons was also prosecuted for his role in the operation, and Wayne Wilson received a three-year federal prison term for obstructing justice during the prosecution.
   
• United States v. Nahtanha Garcia-Herrera, et. al. resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for the primary offender and a ten-year prison sentence for Tyrece Jones. Two other individuals, Rhonda Badger and Vaughn Isom, were imprisoned for their respective roles in the offenses against 2 minor girls.
   
• United States v. William Muzzall resulted in an 11-year prison sentence for the primary trafficker of one minor. Ashani Burnett-Cisse was also prosecuted for Attempted Witness/Victim Tampering and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment.
   
• United States v. Marvin Rankins, et. al. resulted in a 10-year prison sentence for the primary trafficking of one minor. Two other women were prosecuted for their respective roles in the trafficking enterprise. 
   
• United States v. Breanda Smith resulted in a 78-month prison sentence for a woman who trafficked a minor. Her co-defendant, Cordney Thurman, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in the offense.
   
• In 2021, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury’s verdict and the 40-year prison sentence in United States v. Elijah Vines. Vines trafficked a minor female in the Indianapolis area in the fall of 2016. He was convicted after a jury trial in 2019. Two other individuals were also convicted for their roles in the trafficking enterprise. That case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristina Korobov, Brad Shepard, and Lawrence Hilton.

On December 23, 2021, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced almost $87 million in funding to combat human trafficking, provide supportive services to trafficking victims throughout the United States and conduct research into the nature and causes of labor and sex trafficking.

OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) continues to manage the largest amount of federal funding dedicated to providing services to victims of human trafficking. OVC strengthens the victim service response to human trafficking through grant funding, training and technical assistance and leadership in the field. For example, OVC-funded human trafficking task forces initiated more than 2,800 new investigations nationwide between June 2019 and July 2020, and its victim service grant programs reached nearly 10,000 clients over a 12-month period. OJP’s investments figure prominently in the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at   1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.

To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.

EVANSVILLE – An Evansville man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison today for a firearms offense related to his shooting of two individuals.

According to court documents, on June 13, 2020, the Evansville Police Department responded to the intersection of U.S. 41 and Covert Avenue on a report of a car crash and multiple gunshots being fired. When officers arrived, they located an overturned vehicle, as well as two victims – an unconscious adult male and a conscious juvenile female – who had sustained gunshot wounds. The juvenile female victim told law enforcement that Paje Capone Diaz, 24, of Evansville, had opened fire on them from the front passenger seat of another vehicle.

 During their investigation, officers located spent rounds of Nosler 10mm ammunition at the scene of the shooting.  Officers also found a half-empty box of Nosler 10mm ammunition inside a residence that the defendant visited the night of and morning after the shooting.  Officers located the receipt for the purchase of that ammunition inside a vehicle associated with the defendant, and law enforcement subsequently obtained surveillance video footage of the defendant buying that ammunition two days before the shooting. At the defendant’s sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge Richard L. Young found by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant used or possessed that ammunition in connection with the shootings of the victims.

The defendant was previously convicted of a firearms-related felony in Vanderburgh County, and as a result, was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin made the announcement.

The Evansville Police Department investigated the case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also provided valuable assistance. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski who prosecuted this case.

 This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

FORT WAYNE – Tito Sanabria, 54 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Sanabria was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in this case, in April 2017, following a traffic stop, a search of Sanabria’s home resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine, cutting agents, a hydraulic press, other drugs, and a firearm.  It was also discovered that at the time of the stop, Sanabria was previously deported from the United States to his native El Salvador and was illegally in the United States.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Fishers Police Department, the Indiana State Police and the Hamilton County Drug Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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INDIANAPOLIS – A Crawfordsville man was arrested Tuesday on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, an investigation into Christopher Gene Beke, Sr.,43, began with a report by Google LLC, after the company determined a Google user uploaded sexually explicit images of minors to Google servers in 2021. The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received these reports, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office identified the Google user as Beke, Sr., who had prior convictions for Child Molesting and Possession of Child Pornography. Upon execution of a search warrant, and with the assistance of “Hunter”, IMPD’s Electronic Detection K-9, Beke was found to be in possession of devices that contained sexually explicit images of minors. Beke admitted to police that his phone would contain illegal images.

“This case is a great example of how an international corporate giant like Google can use technology to detect child sexual abuse images being stored online and then quickly get that information into the hands of local law enforcement officers,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Using these internationally generated leads, our ICAC Task Force can put local boots on the ground to stop people who traffic in sexually explicit images of children. And a special thanks for the incredible work of our law enforcement partners in Montgomery County.”

“Detective French and Detective Kirby have worked tirelessly on these cases, and we are grateful for our partnerships with the ICAC Task Force,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham. “We will continue to commit all of our resources to these types of crimes and work with our partners to ensure we do our part in keeping children safe.”

Beke, Sr. is charged with Possession of a Visual Depiction of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct (with a Prior Conviction). The defendant made his initial court appearance today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Doris L. Pryor of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Beke, Sr. faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Crawfordsville Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (including the County Sex Offender Registrar), and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office also provided valuable assistance.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Korobov who is prosecuting the case.

This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

Additionally, this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

INDIANAPOLIS – A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Indiana returned an indictment today charging an Indianapolis man with making false statements to purchase firearms on behalf of other people and dealing in firearms without a license.

According to court documents, over a two-month period, De’Angelo Carnell, 23, purchased 19 handguns from federally licensed gun stores in the Indianapolis area. These purchases were typically made on behalf of other people who could not legally buy guns at these stores. Carnell would then provide the firearms to these persons and accept a fee in exchange. One of the recovered handguns was confiscated in Chicago, Illinois, during a traffic stop.

Carnell is charged with 13 counts of making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and dealing in firearms without a license. If convicted of making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, he faces up to ten years’ imprisonment as to each count. If convicted of dealing in firearms without a license, he faces up to five years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Roland H. Herndon Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating the case.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who is prosecuting the case.

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

TERRE HAUTE – A federal grand jury in Indianapolis returned an indictment today charging a Terre Haute man with the murder of a federal officer, attempted arson of federal property, and using a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. The charges against Shane Meehan, 45, stem from the July 7, 2021 killing of Terre Haute Police Detective and FBI Task Force Officer Gregory Ferency. Meehan was previously charged by a federal criminal complaint filed on July 8, 2021.

According to court documents, on July 7, 2021, Meehan drove his pickup truck to the gate of the FBI resident agency building in Terre Haute. Meehan exited his truck and threw a Molotov cocktail toward the building. Shortly thereafter, Terre Haute Police Detective and FBI Task Force Officer Gregory Ferency walked out of the FBI building and was confronted by Meehan, who was holding a firearm. Meehan shot TFO Ferency, who died of his injuries. 

“Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are entrusted to protect the public and uphold equal justice under law, all at the risk of their own lives. As such, the murder of a federal law enforcement officer in the line of duty is an attack against our entire community,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable. Our thanks and admiration go out to those who selflessly responded to the assault at the Terre Haute FBI resident agency. The Department of Justice extends its heartfelt sympathies to TFO Ferency’s family, friends, and colleagues for his tragic death.”

“This indictment is another step forward in bringing resolution to the ambush of Task Force Officer Greg Ferency, who was one of 73 law enforcement officers intentionally killed in the line of duty last year, and one of three of our own FBI family to lose their lives at the hands of others,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “We continue to mourn Greg's tragic loss and are reminded every day of the ultimate sacrifice he made while serving his community and country. We are committed to a thorough and meticulous investigation to bring resolution to this case and ensure accountability.”

The defendant was arrested on July 7, 2021 and has been ordered detained in the custody of the United States Marshal, pending trial. He will make his initial appearance on the indictment before a United States Magistrate Judge at a later date.

The murder and firearms charges are capital-eligible offenses, punishable by lifetime imprisonment or death. Should the Attorney General of the United States determine that the circumstances of the offenses are such that a sentence of death is justified, the law requires that notice be filed with the court at a reasonable time before trial.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. The Terre Haute Police Department and the Indiana State Police also provided valuable assistance.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys William McCoskey, Lindsay Karwoski, and Kathryn Olivier, who are prosecuting the case.

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

EVANSVILLE – An Evansville man was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child in his care and creating images of the abuse.

According to court documents, on March 25, 2021 the Evansville Police Department responded to an address in Evansville. The officer spoke with an adult female who was reporting that Todd Johnson Jr., 33, Evansville, had sexually explicit images of a child on his cell phone. She reported that earlier that day, she saw an image on Johnson’s cell phone when he was asleep. Johnson awoke and after a confrontation, he fled the area, but the adult female was able to retain his cell phone.

After further investigation, it was discovered that Johnson Jr. used a prescription drug to sedate the minor victim, then he would sexually abuse the victim and take pictures of the abuse. The abuse images demonstrated that the child was heavily sedated or unconscious at the times of the abuse.  An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson on April 7, 2021, and he was arrested on April 8, 2021.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. The Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crime Unit also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young also imposed 15 years of supervised release and Johnson must register as a sex offender.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.

In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

EVANSVILLE – An Evansville man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for the production and distribution of sexually explicit material involving minors.

According to court documents, in February 2018, an individual contacted the Evansville Police Department to report that she had been contacted by an unknown female stating she had received inappropriate messages from the individual’s social media accounts. The individual further discovered that someone was using her name and photographs to set up social media accounts to contact and communicate with underage girls to receive nude photographs. That person was named Wesley Trafford, who she did not know or give him permission to do so.

After further investigation, agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Wesley E. Trafford, 35, Evansville. Evidence was collected and sent to the Indiana State Police for examination. The forensic examination of the evidence found that Trafford took images from social media accounts belonging to other people to create fake accounts. He would then use the fake accounts to obtain nude images of minor victims and distributed those nude images of minors to others. Trafford had previously been convicted of child exploitation in September 2014 in Vanderburgh County, and was a registered sex offender at the time he committed these federal offenses.

“Every parent and child should be aware of the dangers lurking online. Often, the person on the other side of the screen is not who they pretend to be, and in fact may be a serial sexual predator seeking additional minor victims. Recidivist sex offenders against children are a particular federal priority, and my office will work tirelessly to hold them accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The serious consequences imposed today are an important part of protecting the public and demonstrating to would-be offenders that they will be found, and they will be brought to justice.”

“This case demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable of our society, our children,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Every time sexually explicit images of children are viewed it revictimizes a child and the FBI will continue to work diligently to ensure those who would harm them are held accountable.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Indiana State Police and the Evansville Police Department also provided invaluable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young also imposed five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers announced today that the Southern District of Indiana collected $4,302,430.23 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2021. Of this amount, $2,799,296.37 was collected in criminal actions and $1,503,133.86 was collected in civil actions. 

Additionally, the Southern District of Indiana worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $1,941,923.77 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $114.58 was collected in criminal actions and $1,941,809.19 was collected in civil actions.

“The diligent efforts of our federal prosecutors and support staff in the Southern District of Indiana’s Criminal Division, Civil Division and Asset Recovery Unit are committed to protecting its citizens and their resources,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “We have some of the best in the country, and I want to thank them for making this year's collections possible.”

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 collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of Indiana, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,414,230 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2021. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney to over 27 years in prison following his conviction at trial for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

Eric Walker, 31, along with two other defendants, were convicted in June 2021 following a two-week jury trial. Walker’s codefendants, Clifford R. King, and Derrick Granger were previously sentenced by Judge Sweeney to each serve 30 years in prison.

King supplied between two and five pounds of methamphetamine per day to various customers in the Indianapolis area from the summer of 2019 until March 2020. King had previously been convicted in Marion County of robbery in 2014 and was sentenced to community corrections. King violated the terms of his community corrections on four occasions and returned to community corrections each time. Following his fourth violation, King absconded and became a fugitive in January 2018. While on fugitive status, King possessed a machine gun during the drug conspiracy and distributed his methamphetamine from a stolen vehicle.

Granger served as one of Kings methamphetamine suppliers. He obtained large quantities of methamphetamine and transported the drugs back to Indianapolis for distribution to King. Granger was interdicted at a hotel in Los Angeles in November 2019 with 59 pounds of methamphetamine that he intended to transport back to Indianapolis for distribution.

Walker served as an alternate supplier to King. In March 2021, Walker was convicted in a separate jury trial in Marion County for possession of cocaine, neglect of a dependent, and possession of a narcotic drug. He remained at liberty following his conviction in Marion County and continued to supply King with methamphetamine. A telephone conversation was intercepted between Walker and King in which they discussed the Marion County trial and their ongoing drug trafficking activity on the same evening that Marion County jury returned its verdict.

“Organized trafficking of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs contributes to the unacceptable level of violence in Indianapolis and throughout the country. Those who persist in engaging in dangerous criminal conduct despite determined efforts to dissuade them will be held accountable in our courts,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Dismantling drug trafficking organizations and taking guns out of the hands of previously convicted felons, is a critical part of our fight to reduce violent crime in our communities.”

“The sentencing of Mr. Walker, Mr. Granger and Mr. King sends a big message that drug traffickers will be held accountable,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “Any time we can remove large amounts of debilitating drugs such as methamphetamine, which in this case was at a 100% purity level, and illegally possessed firearms from the streets, it is a big win. DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners to keep our communities safe. DEA commends the outstanding work by the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana, and all the agencies who participated in this investigation.”

Judge Sweeney has sentenced 21 other defendants in this case. The following are other noteworthy prison sentences:

• Steve Anderson,48, more than 21 years
• Eric Poore, 44, more than 17 years
• Jeremy Osman, 42, more than 15 years
• Troy Thornton, 49, 15 years
• Tyler Greenwalt, 37, more than 11 years
• Josh T. Unger, 38, more than 10 years
• Ayers Adams, 29, 10 years
• Dylan Williams, 42, 10 years
• James Swartz, 43, 10 years
• James Bacon, 53, 10 years
• Ryan Sawyers, 39, 10 years

This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Metro Drug Task Force, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley A. Blackington and Kathryn Olivier, who prosecuted this case.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man was sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison for committing a series of violent armed robberies throughout the Indianapolis area in November 2019.

In June 2021, Jerry Davis, 51, was convicted by a jury of robbing four business from November 12, 2019 through November 20, 2019. The employees of two Speedway convenience stores, a Denny’s restaurant, and the Taste of Indiana, were all victimized by Davis. During these robberies, Davis attacked the innocent employees with bear spray, and a large metal pipe.

Davis has a long, violent, criminal history including five prior convictions in state court for robbery and or attempted robbery. Due to his violent criminal history and past convictions for serious violent felonies, Davis received the life plus 20 years sentence pursuant to the federal “three strikes law.”

“Mr. Davis has been victimizing the citizens of this community with his violent behavior for twenty-five years,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Each time the defendant returned to the community from prison he could have changed his ways. Instead, he chose to engage in a series of violent attacks against innocent victims. The serious sentence imposed demonstrates that repeat violent offenders will be held accountable for their actions.”

“Identifying Mr. Davis and ending his reign of terror over the community would not have been possible without the ongoing collaboration the FBI has with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “It is through such partnerships that we will continue to bring to justice those who think they are above the law and can conduct their illegal activities without repercussions.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Task Force, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Peter A. Blackett and Bradley P. Shepard prosecuted the case. It should be noted that there is no parole in the federal system.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute was awarded $220,856 to administer PSN grant funds in the Southern District of Indiana.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”

“Reducing violent crime is a top priority of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These grants will be vital to partnerships between Hoosier communities and organizations and the state to address gun violence and other violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “We are grateful for these community partnerships as we seek to stem the tide of violence in our neighborhoods.”

Grant funds will support the Southern District of Indiana's PSN program by offering opportunities to federal, state, and local partners to work together to capitalize on their overlapping jurisdictions, pool resources and knowledge, and boost the chances of achieving the shared goal of reducing violent crime in the Southern District of Indiana. With approval from BJA, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute will begin the process of making subawards for PSN grant projects.

“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”

In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.

For a list of all grantees, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at  www.ojp.gov.

EVANSVILLE – A federal grand jury in Evansville returned indictments charging 30 men and women with several federal crimes, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, illegal possession of a firearm, and robbery.

According to court documents, Julian Green, 38, of Indianapolis, was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based out of Indianapolis that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine around central and southern Indiana. Green supplied codefendant Jeramey Smith, 32, of Indianapolis, and others, with methamphetamine. Smith, in turn, coordinated with codefendants Nicholas Cabrera, 35, of Mulberry, Florida, and Joshua Wilson, 30, of Evansville – both of whom were federal prisoners at the time – to orchestrate the delivery and distribution of methamphetamine to Indianapolis through a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.

After the methamphetamine was delivered to Indianapolis, Smith and Hannah Kissel, 38, of Indianapolis, distributed the methamphetamine to other individuals, mainly in the Evansville area, who then sold the methamphetamine at various locations within the Southern District of Indiana and the Western District of Kentucky.

The indictments allege that multiple members of this drug trafficking ring were already-convicted felons who illegally possessed and used firearms and ammunition. As an example, Smith, as charged in the indictment, directed codefendant Dominique Baquet, 28, of Indianapolis, to rob another codefendant at gunpoint for drug proceeds.

During the course of this investigation, investigators seized over 46 pounds of methamphetamine, over 700 grams of fentanyl, 30 firearms, over $300,000 in U.S. currency, six vehicles, and a pill press.

“Methamphetamine and fentanyl are a source of some of the violence and social devastation that are plaguing our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “Federal law enforcement, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, are committed to eliminating the organizations that are supplying these illegal drugs and holding those individuals accountable.”

“This drug trafficking organization is charged with making a living peddling poison, including potentially deadly fentanyl, into our communities,” said Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of DEA Indianapolis District Office. “They were responsible for distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in various cities throughout Indiana and western Kentucky, including Indianapolis, Evansville, Princeton, and Owensboro. This case reflects our commitment to improving public safety for the fine citizens of Indiana and Kentucky.”

The following individuals have been charged and arrested:

Defendant

Charge(s)

Julian Green, 38, of Indianapolis

Conspiracy to distribute meth; felon in possession of a firearm

Jeramey Smith, 32, of Indianapolis

Conspiracy to distribute meth and fentanyl; robbery; felon in possession of a firearm

Hannah Kissel, 38, of Indianapolis

Conspiracy to distribute meth and fentanyl

Joshua Wilson, 29, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Nicholas Cabrera, 34, of Mulberry, Florida

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Jordan Wilson, 38, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth and fentanyl; felon in possession of a firearm

Timothy Rice, 32, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Achilles Johnson, 37, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Deonte Howard, 33, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Julie Hunt, 34, of Petersburg

Conspiracy to distribute meth and fentanyl

Torrance Mimms, 31, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Keisha Jewell, 34, of Princeton

Conspiracy to distribute meth and fentanyl

Davion Hays, 35, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Jason Mitchell, 40, of Henderson, Kentucky

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Denny Taylor, 46, of Princeton

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Aaron Hardiman, 39, of Princeton

Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl

Roman Wills, 40, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Michael Sanders, 40, of Owensboro, Kentucky

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Gregory Snyder, 59, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Joshua Gahagan, 38, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Gregory Markey, 32, of Indianapolis

Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl

L.C. Moore II, 28, of Indianapolis

Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl

Dominique Baquet, 28, of Indianapolis

Robbery

Antonio DeJarnett, 33, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Ryan Pinkston, 39, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth; felon in possession of ammunition

Robert Embry, 43, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Becky Edwards, 36, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Edward Meredith, 56, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Tabitha Seabeck, 28, of Mt. Vernon

Conspiracy to distribute meth

Zachary Addison, 39, of Evansville

Conspiracy to distribute meth

The defendants face the following possible penalties:

• If convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine or conspiring to distribute fentanyl:
  • 10 years to life in prison;
  • Up to $10,000,000 fine;
  • At least 5 years’ supervised release.
• If convicted of robbery:
  • Maximum 20 years in prison;
  • Up to $250,000 fine;
  • Not more than 3 years’ supervised release.

• If convicted of illegally possessing a firearm or ammunition:
  • Maximum 10 years in prison;
  • Up to $250,000 fine;
  • At least 3 years’ supervised release.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department; the Princeton Indiana Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s and Prosecutor’s Offices, the Evansville Police Department, the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney, the Gibson County Prosecuting Attorney, the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office, the Posey County Sheriff’s Office, Posey County Drug Task Force, the Henderson Kentucky Police Department, the Owensboro Kentucky Police Department, and the Indiana State Police provided invaluable assistance. 

Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Wheatley is prosecuting this case.

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

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis, Indiana man was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two young children in his care and creating and distributing images of the abuse over the internet.

This investigation began when Donald Robert Richards, III, 32, began communicating with an undercover agent in an online chatroom. On multiple occasions during the chats, Richards uploaded images depicting the sexual abuse of two young female children. Richards went on to explain his familial relationship with the children and describe his sexual conduct with the girls.  

The undercover agent was able to ascertain Richards’s identity, and eventually, with the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (“ICAC”) Task Force, investigators were able to determine Richards’s location in Indianapolis. 

That same day, the Indiana ICAC Task Force assembled to obtain and execute a search warrant at Richards’s location to rescue the two children. Law enforcement officers removed the children from harm’s way, gathered evidence of Richards’s crimes, and arrested Richards. 

Digital evidence showed that Richards had repeatedly sexually exploited the children, who were both under six years old, and on multiple occasions had filmed the abuse. Further, the evidence showed, consistent with the undercover’s interactions, that Richards shared the child sexual abuse material he created with others over the Internet. 

Richards pleaded guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of a child and charges of distribution of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

“For a child, her home and a family member’s arms should be the safest places in the world,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “But the hands and home of Donald Robert Richards III were the most perilous places for our young victims to be, because Richards’s home was the site of protracted sexual exploitation and the only weapon he ever needed was opportunity. Had Richards not been so brazen as to record his crimes and to distribute the images, no one would have known what the victims suffered. We are grateful to the Indiana ICAC for their efforts to bring these girls out of the dark silence of Richards’ abuse.”

According to Assistant United States Attorney Kristina M. Korobov, who prosecuted the case, Richards was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution and will be federally supervised for a life term following his release from prison.

This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

Additionally, this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – A Westfield, Indiana man was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for a years-long scheme to defraud the ophthalmology practice where he worked. 

Joshua D. Millspaugh, 42, worked as the practice administrator for Whitson Vision, P.C., with responsibility for payroll processing, purchasing and bill payment. He was paid an annual salary of over $100,000. However, less than a year after starting his employment, Millspaugh began using his access to company accounts to divert money to himself. Over the next five years, through over 500 separate transactions, Millspaugh used company money to make personal purchases, pay personal bills, and send extra payroll checks to his bank account—all of which he concealed with false entries in the company’s books and fictitious justifications when asked about the expenditures. 

Dr. William Whitson, the owner and director of Whitson Vision, advised the Court during the sentencing that the loss suffered by him and his business went beyond the financial damage. He explained how Millspaugh’s crimes resulted in long term credit and banking problems for his company, how it significantly lowered the business reputation of his company, and how it left devastating morale problems with other company employees.

Millspaugh pled guilty to charges of Wire Fraud. In sentencing Millspaugh to 30 months in prison, U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon found that Millspaugh had abused a position of trust within Whitson Vision to perpetrate his crime.

The investigation was conducted by the Indianapolis office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“Fraud on a small business impacts every area of that business,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “It also breeds mistrust, especially if the fraud is perpetrated by a trusted employee. Mr. Millspaugh exploited his position of trust for purely personal gain, and he is now being held accountable for his actions.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to vigorously pursue those who utilize the U.S. Mail to advance their fraud schemes,” said Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Detroit Division. “Crimes of these type bring grave financial and personal hardships to their victims. Criminal misuse of the U.S. Mail will not be tolerated, and our agency will continue to go after those who seek to abuse their positions of trust.”

According to Assistant United States Attorney James M. Warden, who prosecuted the case, Millspaugh was ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution and will be federally supervised for 3 following his release from prison.

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a Michigan teen and trafficking in child sexual abuse images and videos. He was previously convicted in state court of sexually abusing children and possessing images of child sexual abuse.   

In 2020, investigators uncovered that Charles Piel, 24, had been sending and receiving images and videos of child sexual abuse over the internet, including sending such material to a minor child in Florida in 2019. Following his arrest, investigators further examined his electronic devices and online accounts and found other sexually explicit communications with a child in Michigan. The investigation showed that in September of 2020, Piel traveled to Michigan to engage in sexual conduct with the child, and that Piel made recordings of the conduct. Investigators found that after this, Piel continued to communicate with the child, and eventually created additional recordings of the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct over video conferencing. Piel maintained all these recordings, along with a larger collection of child sexual abuse images and videos, until his arrest in October of 2020.  

At the time he committed these crimes, Piel had already been twice convicted of child sexual abuse offenses. In 2017, Piel was convicted in Hendricks County, Indiana of Sexual Battery for his sexual contact with two minor boys. He was sentenced to a term of probation. In 2018, while on probation, Piel committed and was convicted in Marion County of Possession of Child Pornography. He was placed on Community Corrections Home Detention, which he violated, resulting in a stint in jail.  Following his release, Piel began his sexually explicit communications with the minor in Florida and the conduct that led to this federal prosecution.

“Charles Piel is a habitual child predator who made a career out of sexually abusing and exploiting children,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “I commend the work of the investigators and prosecutors who have taken this child predator out of our community and helped to bring justice to his young victims. This case is yet another example of the outstanding work of Indiana’s nationally-renowned Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.”

In fiscal year 2019, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the ninety-four federal districts in the number of child exploitation cases prosecuted.

“The world is a safer place without Mr. Piel on the streets. No longer will he be able to prey on some our most innocent residents. Thank you to the men and women of IMPD who work day after day to keep our streets safe,” said IMPD Police Chief Randal Taylor.

“Today’s sentencing illustrates the Secret Service’s commitment to investigate crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children through our liaison efforts with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and our close partnerships with our state, local and federal agencies,” said Eric K. Reed, Special Agent in Charge, Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “The Secret Service is proud to have partnered with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring this case to justice and protect our nation’s children from these most heinous crimes.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Secret Service.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Kristina M. Korobov, who prosecuted the case, said Piel was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution and will be federally supervised for a life term following his release from prison.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP).  The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the Southern District of Indiana one city was awarded funding totaling $375,000.

“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”

“The funds awarded to the City of Muncie to hire additional police officers is an important investment in the safety of the citizens of Muncie as well as the police department that serves them,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers.

The following city in the Southern District of Indiana received awards:

• City of Muncie – $375,000
   
  CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here.
   
  Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.
   
  To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/ .
   

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.

EVANSVILLE – A Spencer County, Indiana man was sentenced to 210 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two young children and sharing the images and videos he created.

Trent Walker, 36, began sexually abusing one of the victims when she was a toddler. The abuse continued over a six-year period and was sadistic in nature. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Richard L. Young, who presided, noted that Walker’s abuse of the child could fairly be described as torture. Walker also abused a six-year-old child for a several-month period. Both victims were in Walker’s care when he abused them.

Walker created hundreds of images and videos of his sexual abuse of both victims, which he shared with an online group he ran. The group was dedicated to sadistically exploiting small children, some as young as infants. Walker served as the group’s moderator. He encouraged others to share sadistic abuse material, trained others how to conceal their identities online to avoid detection, and coached members of the group on how to abuse young children psychologically, physically, and sexually.

“The vile conduct that Walker inflicted on his victims is reprehensible and will impact these children for the rest of their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “This sentence ensures that Trent Walker will never have another opportunity to victimize another child and hopefully bring some peace to his victims.”

“The defendant’s repeated sadistic abuse clearly demonstrates he cannot be allowed to be free in the community,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Middleton. “This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protect those who can’t protect themselves and ensure individuals who commit such heinous acts are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Indiana State Police investigators work diligently every day, all across Indiana, and in close collaboration with its law enforcement partners, to help bring to justice those who seek to perpetuate the victimization of children,” said Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter.

“The cooperative team effort with our state and federal law enforcement partners, allowed for the successful prosecution of this dangerous predator. The damage that he inflicted in this world cannot be undone, but this sentence ensures that he will never burden a child with his evil ever again,” said Spencer County Sheriff Kelli Reinke.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Spencer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana State Police.

 According to Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted the case, said Walker will serve consecutive prison sentences totaling 210 years and was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to each victim.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – A Monroe County, Indiana couple have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to sexually abuse five children and keep that scheme hidden from authorities. Matthew Cole, 31, was sentenced to over 41 years in prison and his wife, Dolores Cole, 41, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. All of the children were rescued as a result of the investigation.

 Beginning in 2014, the Coles were living in Arizona and had custody, care, or supervisory control of six children. A child protection agency received a report that one or both Coles were sexually abusing the children. Over the next few years, multiple allegations of abuse were made. To avoid having the children permanently removed from their care and to prevent police or child protection agencies from discovering the sexual abuse, the Coles moved the children to residences in different states. The Coles moved through Arizona, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, and ultimately to Indiana, where their scheme ended when search warrants were executed at their residence in August of 2018.

The investigation by authorities in Indiana uncovered evidence that five of the six children had been sexually abused. And investigators found evidence that Matthew Cole produced and distributed sexually explicit images of one of the children. Investigators also learned that both Coles threatened the children, telling them that they should not tell law enforcement officers what was happening to them, which led to prolonged abuse of the children. 

Mathew Cole pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport minors across state lines with the intent to engage in a criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of a child, and witness tampering.  Dolores Cole pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact to sexual exploitation of a child, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.

“The pain and damage inflicted on these children at the hands of adults they trusted is unimaginable,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “No sentence of imprisonment will undo what these victims have suffered, but the serious consequences imposed for these heinous offenses demonstrate that those who sexually exploit vulnerable children will be held accountable for their reprehensible actions.”

“To prey on children in your care and harm them in such a heinous way is reprehensible and beyond comprehension,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “Their sentences should serve as a strong reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those who victimize innocent children to ensure they can never again inflict such abuse.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana Department of Children’s Services.

 According to Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley P. Shepard and Kristina M. Korobov, who prosecuted the case, Matthew Cole must pay restitution of $50,000 to the victims and will be supervised for the remainder of his life following release from prison. Dolores Cole must pay restitution of $18,000 to the victims and will be supervised for 3 years following her prison term.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, United States District Court Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt swore Zachary A. Myers in as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. President Joseph R. Biden nominated the veteran federal prosecutor to serve as U.S. Attorney and he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“Every day, the dedicated professionals in this U.S. Attorney’s Office work tirelessly to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law. I look forward to leading this outstanding team. I will work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to hold offenders accountable and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the Southern District of Indiana and of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers.

As the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, U.S. Attorney Myers will lead an office of approximately 42 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 46 support professionals in the office’s criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, and to promote public safety throughout the Southern District of Indiana.

Prior to being sworn in as the new U.S. Attorney, Mr. Myers served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, where he served since 2014. He worked in the Baltimore Division’s Major Crimes Unit and most recently in the District of Maryland’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, serving as the first Cybercrime Counsel for the District.

From 2011 through 2014, Mr. Myers served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, where he worked in the General Crimes Unit. He has led investigations, prosecutions, and appeals of a wide variety of federal offenses, with a focus on technology-facilitated crime, including cybercrimes, national security offenses, child exploitation, fraud, public corruption, violent crimes, and sex trafficking.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Myers was an attorney at an Indianapolis law firm. He was also a Legislative Correspondent in the Office of Congresswoman Julia M. Carson.

Mr. Myers grew up in Indianapolis. He earned his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2008, his M.A. from the George Washington University in 2005, and his B.A. from Stanford University in 2003.