Northern District of Indiana

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

PLEAS

• Beau A. Eldridge, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

• James B. Nelson, 32, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possessing with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of LSD. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Fort Wayne Police Department, Indiana State Police and the Allen County Police Department.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

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

DISPOSITIONS

• Maria Patricia Herrera, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to time served and 1 year supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.  According to documents filed in this case, Herrera was part of a network to distribute cocaine.  She also assisted in destruction of incriminating evidence of drug dealing.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department.  The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

• Rico J. Parrish, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  According to documents filed in this case, on May 17, 2013, Fort Wayne police officers performed a traffic stop of a vehicle whose passengers included Parrish.  Officers recovered a .45 caliber Glock pistol.  During the inventory search prior to tow, officers located a Llama 9mm pistol handgun under the front edge of the front passenger seat.  After being taken into custody, Parrish admitted to purchasing and owning the Llama firearm.  Parrish also admitted that he had placed the firearm underneath the front passenger seat earlier that day prior to being stopped by the Fort Wayne Police Department.  Parrish is a convicted felon.  He has a prior conviction of carrying a handgun without a license on August 1, 2011, in Allen County, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

PLEA

• Erskine Jones, 22, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Sentencing has been set for 8/27/2014.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

DISPOSITION

• Lorenzo Coben, 25, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 264 months imprisonment to run consecutively to an undischarged prison term imposed on 6/10/2013, and concurrently with the another undischarged prison term imposed on 6/10/2013, 3 years supervised release and to pay $13,131.00 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of using a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence.  According to documents filed in this case, on or about April 11, 2013, Coben did knowingly use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, specifically, an armed bank robbery. During the bank robbery, Coben brandished the firearm. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

• Gigi Riley, 33, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and to pay $2,572,350.52 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to filing of false, fictitious, and fraudulent claims.  According to documents filed in this case, Riley led and participated with others in a false tax return preparation and filing scheme in South Bend, Indiana. She prepared and submitted Forms 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, with false or inflated Forms W-2 to obtain false tax refunds. Within the scheme approximately 1,189 tax returns were submitted for tax years 2008, 2009, and 2010 requesting a total of approximately $3,543,794.00 in tax refunds. Riley owned and maintained a bank account that received approximately $518,343.50 in tax refunds and she owned and maintained another account that received approximately $30,035.00 in tax refunds. She also oversaw and controlled bank accounts opened by others that received tax refunds from the false tax returns. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

• William Cooper, 52, of Mishawaka, Indiana was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment and 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing a firearm as an unlawful drug user.  According to documents filed in this case, on April 22, 2013, Mishawaka police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle pulled into a residence. Cooper was the driver and police found two loaded guns in the console of the car. Indications of a methamphetamine lab were discovered in the basement of the house. Police officers entered the house initially for safety reasons and then proceeded to search on the basis of consent from Cooper. Police found three persons inside the residence who had outstanding warrants for arrest.  Cooper admitted that he had approximately 15-16 long guns in the house in addition to the two handguns in the vehicle. He also admitted to being a regular methamphetamine user. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

PLEAS

• Theodis Lanfair, 42, of Calumet City, Illinois pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Sentencing has been set for 8/12/2014.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

• Dwayne Ashford, 52, of Michigan City, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Sentencing has been set for 8/26/2014.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

• Nathan Huey-Dingle, 32, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of traveling in interstate commerce, transporting an individual across state lines, and trafficking an individual by force, fraud or coercion, with intent to engage in, promote, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of a prostitution enterprise, and thereafter committing a crime of violence that resulted in the death of an individual.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Sentencing has been set for 10/17/2014.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

• John Dates of Gary, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Gang Response Task Force.  Sentencing has been set for 10/7/2014.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Kolar.
  

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

DISPOSITIONS

• Cahleb Smith-Conrad, 22, of Delphi, Indiana was sentenced to probation for a term of one year after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing a firearm as a felon.  According to documents filed in this case, on March 16, 2013, the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle after a 911 caller observed an intoxicated person drive his vehicle into the ditch and the intoxicated person was picked up by a vehicle driven by Smith-Conrad. The deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The deputy sheriff observed a 12 gauge shotgun in the back seat of the vehicle. This case was the result of an investigation by Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

• Tiana Williams, 30, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced to probation for a term of one year after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm.  According to documents filed in this case, Williams admitted to agents that she purchased a Ruger 9mm pistol for a convicted felon.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Padilla.

• Azzam Al-Hindi, 68, of Whiting, Indiana was sentenced to 7 months of home detention, payment of $2,000 in fines and payment of $32,667.64 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of mail fraud.  According to documents filed in this case, between 2006 and 2010, Al-Hindi and others conspired to use false purchasers and often stole luxury vehicles to fraudulently obtain auto loans from different financial institutions.  Those false purchasers intentionally submitted fraudulent consumer credit applications with no ability or intention to repay the loans.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Treasury - Secret Service.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Stewart.

• Eloise Blackmon, 55, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced to 21 months, 1 year supervised release and to pay $200,000 in fines after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.  According to documents filed in this case, on May 9, 2006, Ms. Blackmon purchased a home in Gary, Indiana.  The home was sold for significantly more than its actual value and the Department of Housing and Urban Development statement for the sale included a payment to Horizon Development for $37,750.46 for repairs to the property.  The evidence collected in the investigation has revealed that no such repairs were ever actually done by Horizon - either before or after the sale.  This home was one of ten involved.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Padilla.

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

PLEA

• Deandre Banks, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of bank fraud. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.  Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

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

PLEAS (before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey:)

Courtney Crusoe, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

Alejandro Luna, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Calvin L. Miller, 23, of Indianapolis, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offenses of armed bank robber, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and forcibly assaulting and impeding a postal employee. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force, Allen County Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department and Indiana State Police.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Marcel Banks, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of bank fraud. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

Brandon S. Keister, 22, of Russell, Kentucky pled guilty to the felony offense of theft/burglary of a licensed firearms dealer. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

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

DISPOSITIONS (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:)

Darnell Bontempo, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a violent felon in possession of body armor.According to documents filed in this case, on May 31, 2013 members of the Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force met with Bontempo regarding his reported stolen vehicle which was used in a robbery.When detectives arrived at the residence, Bontempo was found to be in possession of a ballistic vest.Further investigation revealed that Bontempo has a prior conviction for a crime of violence. In 2001, Bontempo pointed a semi-automatic handgun at another person at close range during an attempted auto theft. As result, Bontempo was charged with, and convicted of Criminal Recklessness as a Class D Felony. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Federal Bank Robbery Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Crissy Till, 38, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years probation and to pay $51,949.18 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft/embezzlement of United States property.According to documents filed in this case, Till continued to receive and spend Social Security money paid to her father despite his death in February 2012. This case was the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay

Leobardo Gaona, 40, of Huntertown, Indiana was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment (time served) after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute less than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, between July, 2011 and February, 2013 investigation revealed the existence of a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy operating in northeastern Indiana and southern lower Michigan.Through the use of several wiretaps, it was discovered that an individual by the name of Leobardo Gaona was obtaining quantities of cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department.The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

J.D. Richey, 65, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years probation and to pay $7,300.00 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of embezzlement of labor organization funds.According to documents filed in this case, J.D. Richey worked for Norfolk Southern Railway.As secretary-treasurer, Richey was responsible for taking minutes and handling the union’s finances, including maintaining the financial books and records, and preparing and signing checks.The union had one checking account located and Richey was the sole signatory on the account.The bank statements were sent to Richey at this residence.During a March 2011 audit of the Union’s books, a National Division Auditor discovered that Richey had written a check $7,300 to himself and negotiated it, without the knowledge or authorization of the Union.In his discussion with union officials after discovery of the $7,300 check, Richey stated that he had intended the money to be a short term loan that he knew he had committed a wrong against the Union and that he would try to make amends. The National Division gave Richey an opportunity to repay the Union, but Richey failed to repay the money by an agreed upon deadline. This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Labor .This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

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

PLEAS:

• Michael Nash, 39, of Lake Station, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims (i.e. preparing tax returns known to be false so as to increase the refund amount) and aggravated identity theft.  Sentencing has been set for 10/16/14.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

• Chauncey Hackett, Jr., 23, of East Chicago, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Sentencing has been set for 9/3/14.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

• Otis Irvin, Jr., 40, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

• John Lytle, 37, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offenses of distribution of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

• Robert Lemon, 49, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of mail fraud.  Sentencing has been set for 8/27/14.  This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.
  

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

DISPOSITIONS:

• Andrew Bolden, 30, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 30 months of imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

• Keyosha Toney, 26, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody 1 year of probation to include 8 months of home detention after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making false statements in the purchase of a firearm.  According to documents filed in this case, Toney straw-purchased three firearms for another individual whom she knew dealt marijuana. She purchased two additional firearms for herself and lied about her residence address. Finally, Toney purchased all of the firearms while an unlawful user of marijuana and was untruthful about her marijuana use on the forms for purchasing the firearms as well. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

• Thomas Grad, 57, of Frankfort, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 1 year of probation and a fine of $1000.00 after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly operating a source in violation of a pretreatment standard (Clean Water Act), that is, he caused to be introduced, hauled and trucked pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works operated by the Hammond Sanitary District. Grad was the Operations Manager at Tierra Environmental & Industrial Services, Inc. This case was a result of an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigations and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management Criminal Enforcement.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

• Joiey Jones, 36, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Jones has a prior felony conviction for possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East Chicago Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

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

PLEA

• Courtney Crusoe, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

• Alejandro Luna, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

• Calvin L. Miller, 23, of Indianapolis, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offenses of armed bank robber, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and forcibly assaulting and impeding a postal employee. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force, Allen County Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department and Indiana State Police.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

• Marcel Banks, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of bank fraud. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

• Brandon S. Keister, 22, of Russell, Kentucky pled guilty to the felony offense of theft/burglary of a licensed firearms dealer. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Sentencing has not been set.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

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

DISPOSITIONS

• Darnell Bontempo, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a violent felon in possession of body armor.  According to documents filed in this case, on May 31, 2013 members of the Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force met with Bontempo regarding his reported stolen vehicle which was used in a robbery.  When detectives arrived at the residence, Bontempo was found to be in possession of a ballistic vest.  Further investigation revealed that Bontempo has a prior conviction for a crime of violence. In 2001, Bontempo pointed a semi-automatic handgun at another person at close range during an attempted auto theft. As result, Bontempo was charged with, and convicted of Criminal Recklessness as a Class D Felony. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Federal Bank Robbery Task Force.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

• Crissy Till, 38, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years probation and to pay $51,949.18 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft/embezzlement of United States property.  According to documents filed in this case, Till continued to receive and spend Social Security money paid to her father despite his death in February 2012. This case was the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay

• Leobardo Gaona, 40, of Huntertown, Indiana was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment (time served) after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute less than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.  According to documents filed in this case, between July, 2011 and February, 2013 investigation revealed the existence of a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy operating in northeastern Indiana and southern lower Michigan.  Through the use of several wiretaps, it was discovered that an individual by the name of Leobardo Gaona was obtaining quantities of cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department.  The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

• J.D.  Richey, 65, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years probation and to pay $7,300.00 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of embezzlement of labor organization funds.  According to documents filed in this case, J.D. Richey worked for Norfolk Southern Railway.  As secretary-treasurer, Richey was responsible for taking minutes and handling the union’s finances, including maintaining the financial books and records, and preparing and signing checks.  The union had one checking account located and Richey was the sole signatory on the account.  The bank statements were sent to Richey at this residence.  During a March 2011 audit of the Union’s books, a National Division Auditor discovered that Richey had written a check $7,300 to himself and negotiated it, without the knowledge or authorization of the Union.  In his discussion with union officials after discovery of the $7,300 check, Richey stated that he had intended the money to be a short term loan that he knew he had committed a wrong against the Union and that he would try to make amends. The National Division gave Richey an opportunity to repay the Union, but Richey failed to repay the money by an agreed upon deadline.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

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

DISPOSITION (before District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio)

Larry Jones, 54, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment with 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a stolen firearm.According to documents filed in this case, on June 21, 2013, Jones possessed a stolen Taurus handgun. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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

PLEAS (before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey:)

Brandon Sizemore, 23, of Indianapolis, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of armed bank robbery. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bank Robbery Task Force.Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Phillip Biddle, 36, of Kendallville, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of materials depicting minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Internet Crimes against Children Task Force.Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Billy Gonzalez, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Alejandro Luna, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

DISPOSITION (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:)

Luis Tapia, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, Tapia, did knowingly open, lease, rent, use, and maintain a place in Fort Wayne for the purpose of distributing cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Baldemar Robles, 43, of Phoenix, Arizona was sentenced to 240 months, 2 years supervised release and to pay $18,240 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly maintaining drug-involved premises and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, from August 2011 to September 2011, Robles did knowingly open, lease, rent, use, and maintain a place in Warsaw, Indiana for the purpose of distributing cocaine and marijuana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kosciusko County Drug Task Force, Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

PLEAS:

Keith Cloudy, 37, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Richard Dickus, 71, of Hebron, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of theft of government property.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Karen Stone, 57, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 12 months of probation and restitution of $9,169.59 after pleading guilty to the felony offense of embezzlement from the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, a labor organization.This case was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor Management Standards.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Christopher Bour, 40, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to life plus 85 years imprisonment and lifetime supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of the purchase of a child for production of child pornography, production of child pornography and possession of child pornography featuring a minor under the age of 12.According to documents filed in this case, Bour admitted that, for a period of over a year, he repeatedly purchased and obtained custody and control of a female child aged four to eighteen months with knowledge that she would be videotaped engaging in sexually explicit conduct.Bour also admitted to producing child pornography featuring a six to nine-month-old victim on at least two occasions, producing child pornography of another child aged three to five, and possessing pornography featuring these and many other prepubescent minor children being caused to engage in sexually explicit conduct. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Gary Police Department and the Michigan City Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Stewart Roth, 48, of Griffith, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 2 years’ probation and to pay $4000 in fines after pleading guilty to the felony offense of violation of the Clean Water Act, a national pretreatment standard.According to documents filed in this case, Roth, along with defendant NH Environmental Group, Inc. (“Tierra”) a waste water transporter and centralized waste water treatment facility, knowingly discharged, trucked or hauled liquid wastes, including industrial, sanitary, and food industry-related wastes, into the Hammond Sanitary District’s publicly-owned treatment works (“POTW”) at location that had not been designated, approved, or otherwise permitted by the POTW. This case was a result of an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on May 14, 2014: Alvaro Rivera-Arvayo, 23, Luis A. Ramirez-Perez, 49, and Matthew D. Hottinger, 38, all of Fort Wayne, Indiana, are charged in a two count Indictment. All defendants were charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and Hottinger was also charged with managing and controlling a drug involved premises, all occurring on or about April 15, 2014. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Immigration Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Indiana State Police, Allen County Drug Task Force, Allen County Police Department, New Haven Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

PLEAS (before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey:)

Charley Gonzalez III, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Damion Alexander, 20, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Narciso Soto III, 32, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly maintaining drug-involved premises. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Joseph Luna, 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Manuel Herrera, 44, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled a substance. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department.The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

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

DISPOSITION (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:)

Armando Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 44, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day with time served and 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.According to documents filed in this case, between July 2011 and February 2013 investigation revealed the existence of a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy operating in northeastern Indiana and southern lower Michigan.Gonzales – Gutierrez was a part of that network and obtained quantities of cocaine for distribution to his customers.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation .This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

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

PLEAS:

Jeremy Lloyd, 22, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force, the Gary Police Department and the Indiana State Police.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Tambra Ducker, 25, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dean Lanter and Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Kiontay Pennington, 35, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of homicide in the aid of racketeering activity. Sentencing has been set for 9/2/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Nozick and Thomas McGrath.

James Huddleston, 41, of Wheatfield, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dean Lanter and Gary Bell.

Jennifer Kurek, 40, of Hobart, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of theft of government property.Sentencing has been set for 7/17/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

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

DISPOSITION:

Alejandro Murillo, 27, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 57 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, Murillo was arrested on Interstate 65 near Demotte, Indiana, while driving a vehicle containing 1,498 gross grams of methamphetamine, which he had hidden near the motor of the vehicle. Immigration law enforcement officials determined that Murillo is an illegal alien. This case was a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

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

DISPOSITION (before District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio:)

Tyrone Franklin, 35, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, on July 24, 2013, Franklin possessed a Rock Island semi-automatic handgun. Franklin had been previously convicted of a felony in Porter County Superior Court in 2004. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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

DISPOSITION (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:)

Natalie Catalan, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced to time served for imprisonment and to serve 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.According to documents filed in this case, in 2010, Catalan assisted convicted drug dealer Jonathan Aramburo with arranging for and delivering marijuana from Mexico into the United States. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force and the Whitley County Sheriff's Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

PLEAS:

Linda Rosenberg, 60, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offenses of participating in a conspiracy to receive kickbacks for the referral of Medicaid and Medicare patients to other services providers, dispensing a controlled substance outside the scope of professional practice and legitimate medical purpose and misbranding.Sentencing has been set for 9/10/14.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

Rene Patterson, 32, of Griffith, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge James Moody to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Gary Lindsey, 35, of Markham, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 27 months of imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of passing counterfeit obligations.Lindsey was also ordered to pay $4,550 in restitution. In a separate matter, Lindsey was also sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen firearm.These sentences will run concurrently. This case was a result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Jermel Washington, 38, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 8 months of imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a non-registered firearm (sawed off shotgun).According to documents filed in this case, Washington not only possessed a sawed off shotgun, for which he failed to obtain a license, but according to his own statement, fired it in a residential neighborhood after his was assaulted by another individual. When police initially attempted to question him about the shooting, Washington ran into an apartment which caused a short pursuit before he finally voluntarily surrendered. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gary Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Brandon Reign Jackson, 40, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 63 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Jackson has prior convictions for domestic violence and dealing in a lookalike controlled substance.This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hammond Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

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

PLEAS before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein:

David Perry, 55, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 7/30/14.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Demarcus Bowling, 21, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 7/30/14.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Christopher Simmons, 43, of Goshen, Indiana was sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to 1 year on probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds.According to documents filed in this case, in March 2012, Simmons illegally killed and took migratory birds native to the United States, specifically, great horned owls and red tailed hawks. This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Services.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid .

Silvino Alonso-Pineda, 37, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 30 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two (2) felony offenses: illegally re-entering the United States after being deported and having a prior aggravated felony conviction; and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.According to documents filed in this case, in October 2013, law enforcement officers met with a confidential informant for the purpose of making a purchase of cocaine from Alonso-Pineda. When Alonso-Pineda arrived at a predetermined location, he was apprehended with 14.7 grams of cocaine and $766.00 in his possession. In April 1999, Alonso-Pineda, a Mexican citizen, was charged in California with possession of heroin and cocaine with the intent to distribute.He later pled guilty and was ordered removed back to Mexico at the Calexico Port of Entry. At no time thereafter was Alonso-Pineda given permission to lawfully re-enter the United States. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid .

Adam Shetler, 33, of Goshen, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to five years of supervised probation, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property. Shetler was also ordered to pay $32,689.50 in restitution. According to documents filed in this case, from approximately January 2009 through December 2010, Shetler applied for and received extended unemployment insurance benefits through the State of Indiana Department of Work Force Development. He submitted weekly vouchers to IDWD and intentionally answered "No" to the question as to whether he was working.In truth, Shetler was employed.This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Labor .This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

Lashaun Murry, 33, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 70 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed in this case, in October 2013, Murry possessed a Smith & Wesson handgun. Previously, Murry had been convicted in 2011 of a felony in the LaPorte County Superior Court. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Charles Douglas, 34, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 110 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed in this case, Douglas possessed in October 2012, a shotgun at 1407 Fremont Street in South Bend, Indiana. At the time he possessed the shotgun, Douglas was a convicted felon, having been convicted of several felony crimes including: dealing cocaine, criminal confinement, residential entry, and battery. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid .

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

PLEAS before US Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey:

Augustine Luna, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Nathan Hasty, 36, of Huntington, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of sexual exploitation of children. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Edward Williams, 32, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

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

DISPOSITIONS before United States District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:

Ryan Lasuer, 27, of Warsaw, Indiana, who has been detained since his arrest in 2011, was sentenced to time served and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, Lasuer maintained a drug relationship with Jonathan Aramburo and obtained marijuana from Aramburo for distribution. Lasuer recruited Whitney Sparkman to transport marijuana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force and the Whitley County Sheriff's Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller .

Christine Hagan, 33, of Fort Wayne, IN was sentenced to 2 years of probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.According to documents filed in this case, Hagan was involved in the transport of marijuana for Jonathan Aramburo. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force and the Whitley County Sheriff's Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller .

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

DISPOSITIONS:

John Michael Johnson, 44, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 24 months of probation, to include 12 months of home detention, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed in this case, Johnson has a prior conviction for battery. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

South Bend, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on April 9, 2014:

Kevin Becerril, 19, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one count Indictment with felon in possession of a firearm.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.

Jerome White, 24, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a three count Indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of felon in possession of firearm(s).These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.

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

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

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

PLEAS before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein:

Timothy Heckaman, 52, of Bremen, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.Sentencing has been set for 7/22/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

Frederick Dotson, 40, of Mishawaka, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.Sentencing has been set for 7/17/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Shaffer.

Leroy Clark, 22, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 7/24/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

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

DISPOSITION before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein:

Ronald Simmons, 44, of Goshen, Indiana was sentenced to 1 year probation and ordered to pay a fine of $1000 after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor offense of taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds.According to documents filed in this case, in March 2012, Simmons illegally killed and took migratory birds native to the United States or its territories and protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, specifically great horned owls and red tailed hawks.This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Services.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

PLEAS before United States Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey:

Trevor Rodriguez, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offenses of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted felon and aiding and abetting . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

Devonte Travier, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of aiding and abetting the use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Travon Russell, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

Deyante Stephens, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of aiding and abetting armed bank robbery . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Darwin Altamirano, 30, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a misprision of a felony . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department and the IMAGE Drug Task Force.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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

DISPOSITION before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:

Whitney Sparkman, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.According to documents filed in this case, in July 2010, Sparkman was involved in the transport of marijuana from Arizona to the Northern District of Indiana for distribution.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Javier Madrigal, 36, of Wawaka, Indiana was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release and to pay $22,729.38 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of methamphetamine.According to documents filed in this case, in 2013, Madrigal, a major drug trafficker, was involved in the distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the IMAGE Drug Task force, Indiana State Police, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Ligonier Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department and the FWPD Emergency Services Team.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Jasper Williams, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and 60 months imprisonment to be served consecutively, 3 years supervised release and to pay $280 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and with knowingly carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2012, Williams sold crack and carried a Hi-Point, .40 caliber firearm while distributing the narcotic.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Beth Boger, 47, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and to pay $364,395 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of wire fraud and income tax evasion.According to documents filed in this case, in March 2006, Boger filed a false tax return greatly reducing her taxable income and tax due to the United States government.This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Trent Moore, 44, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment with 8 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of cocaine and crack.According to documents filed in this case, between February and June 2010, Moore sold more than 50 grams of crack.In April 2010, Moore also sold cocaine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Jonathan Aramburo, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced to 157 months imprisonment with 4 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, from January 2010 until February 2011, Aramburo and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana in the Northern District of Indiana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force and the Whitley County Sheriff's Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Antonio Flores, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 5 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, from January 2011 until March 2011, Flores along with several others, trafficked narcotics in the Fort Wayne area.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force, New Haven Police Department, with assistance from GRIT and the Indianapolis Metro PD.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

INDICTMENTS:

Jeremiah Ellis, 28, and Ashley Patterson, 24, both of East Chicago, Indiana were charged with the bank robbery of the First Merchants Bank in East Chicago and with the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chicago Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

DeCarlos Frazier, 30, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Akeem Dillon, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Chicago Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

William D. Cantrell, 59, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was charged with internet stalking.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

Nathan Huey-Dingle, 32, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a superseding indictment with additional counts of a Mann Act violation, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and a Travel Act violation.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

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

PLEAS:

Dajon Rowlett, 31, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Hudie Scott, 27, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Beaver Bernard Russell, 59, of Benton Harbor, Michigan, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offenses of the bank robbery of each of the following banks:Mutual Bank in South Bend, Indiana, Fifth Third Bank in Munster, Indiana and M&I Bank in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Nozick and Dean Lanter.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Cedric Payton, 39, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 37 months of imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Payton has a prior felony conviction for sexual misconduct with a minor and failure to register as a sex offender. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Jeannie Bellar, 55, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 1 day imprisonment, with time considered served, and 1 year of supervised release to include 8 months of home detention after pleading guilty to the felony offense of embezzlement from First Financial Bank.Bellar is also to pay a $4000 fine and she has already paid $17,000 in restitution. This case was a result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Hammond, Indiana - United States Attorney David Capp announced that Steven Borchert was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release after being found guilty of filing nine false income tax returns for the years 2001 – 2009.

Borchert , age 53, of rural Warren County, Indiana, operated a carpet cleaning business in West Lafayette.Borchert’s business generated over $1.8 million in gross revenue during the years in question which should have been reported on his tax returns.Borchert, however, maintained that only income received directly from the federal government was taxable and that his private income did not constitute reportable income.Borchert filed bogus tax returns and reported “zero income.”Borchert’s arguments were categorically rejected by the district court and the jury.

Borchert’s assertions were based, in part, on the website LostHorizons, and a book called “Cracking the Code” written by Peter Hendrickson. Both the website and book encouraged people to file “zero income” tax returns because the Internal Revenue Code only applied to a very small group of people.Some of the theories included that wages and business activity are not income under the Code.The website and book fail to mention that Hendrickson has been twice convicted for federal tax offenses. Hendrickson’s most recent conviction was for filing “zero income” tax returns, the same conduct for which Borchert was convicted. For more information, please go to http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/June/13-tax-657.html ; US v. Hendrickson, 664 F. Supp. 2d 793 (E.D. MI 2009), and 2103 WL 1759170 (E.D. MI 2013).

United States Attorney Capp stated, “The Borchert conviction should serve as fair warning to any other persons who subscribe to this “zero income” argument.The United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service, will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who file these bogus tax returns.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Hammond, Indiana- The United States Attorney’s Office announced that the following Indictments were returned on April 17, 2014:

Jeremiah Ellis, 28, and Ashley Patterson, 24, both of East Chicago, Indiana were charged with the bank robberies of the First Merchants Bank in East Chicago and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chicago Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

DeCarlos Frazier, 30, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Akeem Dillon, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Chicago Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

William D. Cantrell, 59, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was charged with internet stalking.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

Hammond, Indiana- United States Attorney David Capp announced today two indictments naming Keith Soderquist, the Mayor of Lake Station.

The first indictment charges Soderquist, age 44, and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, age 55, who was employed as the administrative assistant to Mayor Soderquist.

The indictment alleges a conspiracy between Keith and Deborah Soderquist to commit wire fraud in connection with financial transactions involving the Mayor’s campaign finance account and the Lake Station Food Pantry account.  These accounts were allegedly utilized by the Soderquists to obtain cash for personal expenses, including gambling activities at casinos in Indiana and Michigan.

The indictment also charges both Keith and Deborah Soderquist with filing false tax returns for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.  The basis for the tax charges is their failure to disclose the money they took from the campaign and food pantry account that they converted to their own personal uses.

The second indictment names Keith Soderquist, Deborah Soderquist, and Miranda Brakley, age 33, a former employee of Lake Station.  Brakley is charged in Count 1 of the second indictment with theft of funds from Lake Station from August 1, 2011 through July 31, 2012.  Brakley is also charged in Count 2 with bankruptcy fraud for failing to disclose certain payments received from Lake Station on her bankruptcy schedules.

Keith and Deborah Soderquist are charged in Count 3 of the second indictment for being accessories after the fact.  That Count alleges that, after knowing that Brakley had committed the theft alleged in Count 1, they assisted Brakley in order to hinder and prevent Brakley’s apprehension, trial and punishment.

The last count alleges that Keith and Deborah Soderquist structured a series of financial transactions in order to avoid the reporting requirements under federal law.  The indictment alleges that in December 2012, the Soderquists obtained $15,000 from an individual.  They instructed that individual to write three checks in amounts less than $10,000 (the reporting requirement under federal law) and to back date two of those checks.  From December 8-12, 2012, those checks were cashed at different branches of JP Morgan Chase bank.

The investigation which led to the second indictment was initiated after a State Board of Accounts audit disclosed missing funds that had been posted as bond money with the Lake Station City Court.

United States Attorney David Capp stated, “These indictments are part of this office’s ongoing public corruption investigation.  Today’s indictments were the result of an extensive investigative effort by the FBI, IRS and ISP.  This investigative team will continue to investigate allegations of abuse of the public trust.”

The Soderquists and Brakley are expected to surrender to authorities at the Hammond federal courthouse Thursday morning.

This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service and the Indiana State Police.This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Kolar and Philip Benson.

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

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

PLEAS before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein:

Shan Skinner, 44, of Portage, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 7/17/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Willie Long, 23, of Elkhart, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm . The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 7/15/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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

DISPOSITIONS before District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio:

Angela White, 28, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years supervised probation and to pay $36,705 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of the Treasury.According to documents filed in this case, White participated with others in a false tax return preparation and filing scheme in South Bend, Indiana. Individuals prepared and submitted Forms 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, with false or inflated Forms W-2 to obtain false tax refunds. Within the scheme approximately 1,189 tax returns were submitted for tax years 2008, 2009, and 2010 requesting a total of approximately $3,543,794.00 in tax refunds. White opened and controlled bank accounts that received tax refunds from these false tax returns. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Brian Lindsey, 27, of La Porte, Indiana was sentenced to 1 year supervised probation, 94 hours community service, and to pay $680, $100 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.According to documents filed in this case, in December 2012, Lindsey purchased two Nook Notebook tablet computers using counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in the denomination of twenty dollars in the total amount of $240 at a local department store.Lindsey was aware the bills were falsely made, forged and counterfeited at the time that he gave them to the cashier.This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

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

PLEAS before District Roger B. Cosbey:

Stefanie Redfern, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of maintaining a drug involved premises. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Service, and the Indiana State Police.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

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

Christopher Smith, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Eddie Carlisle, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

DISPOSITION before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:

Contrel Johnson, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, on February 3, 2013, Fort Wayne Police Department stopped Johnson while driving due to potential intoxication while operating the vehicle.Officers searched Johnson’s vehicle and found a loaded firearm in the glove box.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.

WASHINGTON – Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally for the Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David A. Capp of the Northern District of Indiana announced today that Ronald Eugene Jamerson, 56, of Schererville, Ind., was sentenced to serve [XX] months in prison by U.S. District Judge Phillip P. Simon. Jamerson was also ordered to pay $___ in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for unpaid individual income taxes and employment taxes. On Oct. 25, 2013, Jamerson pleaded guilty to one count of willfully failing to truthfully account for, collect and pay over employment taxes to the IRS.According to the plea agreement, the total tax loss owed for all tax periods from 2003 through 2008 is approximately $541,083.

The case was investigated by Special Agents from IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Erin S. Mellen and Chris J. Maietta of the Tax Division, with valuable support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Hammond, Ind.

14-XXX

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

PLEA (before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein:)

Marcelino Ruiz-Robles, 37, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally distributing a mixture or substance containing cocaine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.Sentencing has been set for 7/3/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Patrick Condon, Jr., 41, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.Sentencing has been set for 7/10/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

Tiffany J. Miller, 28, of Cromwell, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of theft of government property. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.Sentencing has been set for 7/10/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

Devon Stewart, 40, of South Bend, Indiana, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offenses of possession of crack with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 7/3/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

DISPOSITIONS (before District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio:)

Areryaunna Parahams, 21, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 3 years supervised probation, 8 months location monitoring on home detention and ordered to pay $32,629.16 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of the Treasury.According to documents filed in this case, Parahams participated with others in a false tax return preparation and filing scheme in South Bend, Indiana.At least two U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, with false or inflated W-2 forms were submitted in Parahams’ name to obtain refunds. Within the scheme, over 1,000 tax returns were submitted for tax years 2008, 2009, and 2010 requesting improper tax refunds. Parahams opened and controlled bank accounts, where some of these false tax returns were deposited.She also shared in the funds received from the fraudulent tax returns. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Department.The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Demonte Brantley, 19, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with 3 years on supervised release, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.According to documents filed in this case, law enforcement officers became aware of Brantley, his possession of a firearm and his plan to commit a robbery. Law enforcement officers were able to identify this person as Brantley and steered him into a controlled operation.While traveling to commit a robbery under the sting, Brantley was stopped by police officers directed by federal agents.Brantley attempted to discard a loaded Intratec 9mm handgun, but the weapon was recovered by federal agents.When Brantley initially took possession of the firearm, prior to the time of the planned robbery, the serial numbers of the firearm had been already been scratched off and Brantley was aware of the alteration to the serial number. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Ronier Scott, 42, of Gary, Indiana, a Gary City Councilman, was sentenced by Magistrate Judge John Martin to 3 months imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of willful failure to file a federal tax return for the tax years 2008 and 2009.Scott was also ordered to perform 400 hours of community service to be completed within 10 months after release from the Bureau of Prisons.According to documents filed in this case, in addition to not filing tax returns for 2008 and 2009, he also chose not to file for the years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. For 2004, Scott filed a joint return and collected a refund. For 2005, Scott filed a joint tax return and expected to receive a refund, but it was applied to the 2003 debt. For 2006, Scott did not file his tax return until 2011, after he had been contacted by criminal investigators. For 2007, Scott filed a separate return and under-reported his income. This case was a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Turrell Anderson, 41, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 42 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Anderson has a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East Chicago Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Willie Harris, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 156 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $299,298.67 in restitution after being found guilty at trial to the felony offenses of conspiracy to commit fraud with identification documents, fraud with identification documents, trafficking in counterfeit devices and aggravated identity theft.According to documents filed in this case, Harris obtained the account and personal information of individuals in over 21 states and fraudulently added their names to the victims’ accounts in an account takeover scheme.Harris and his co-conspirators either utilized their own names or utilized aliases with the accounts which had been taken over.They would purchase gift cards, Postal money orders, and make numerous retail purchases with the fraudulently obtained credit cards throughout Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Georgia.They also made cash withdrawals on the accounts and utilized the convenience checks associated with the accounts at various financial institutions located in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Georgia.Throughout the course of this criminal conduct, they would also mail gift cards, Postal money orders, and U.S. currency from Indiana and Wisconsin to Georgia. This case was a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

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

Jonathan Parahams, Jr., 28, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 92 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and to pay $2,572,350.52 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of the Treasury.According to documents filed in this case, Parahams was arrested at a local hotel by SBPD on drug and gun charges. During this arrest, officers found a laptop computer in his hotel room.After his arrest, a local bank contacted the DEA with information about unusual activity on bank accounts associated with Parahams, including the withdrawing $450,000.00.A search warrant was procured for Parahams’ laptop and the search uncovered information relating to the tax scheme.

Since at least the beginning of 2009, Parahams and others associated with him, participated in a scheme to defraud by submitting fraudulent U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, using false or inflated Forms W-2.This scheme resulted in the submission of 226 false tax returns for tax year 2008, 652 false returns for tax year 2009, and 311 false returns for tax year 2010.As a result of these false returns, Parahams and others obtained refunds Internal Revenue Service, via direct deposit, into multiple bank accounts owned by the conspirators or into bank accounts owned by other account holders but controlled by Parahams. Some of these account holders knowingly assisted in disbursing refunds at the direction of Parahams and his fellow conspirators.

Parahams obtained the information to submit false returns in several ways:some clients either sold their information for a fee, others sought out members of the conspiracy to have a tax return prepared, while others were recruited by Parahams. Clients who provided their information for a fee, gave personal identifiers such as their name and social security number in exchange for cash or a prepaid debit card that later came in the mail. Those clients that sought out the conspirators to have legitimate tax return preparation after being told larger refunds could be obtained using the services ofParahams’ associates.These larger refunds wereobtained by using false Form W-2information. Other persons were recruited to file a tax return with Parahams or another conspirator in order to obtain a tax refund even though the client had no intentions or duty to file otherwise.Parahams and his coconspirators recruited clients personally and/or paid others a referral fee for referring clients.

Parahams was incarcerated in St. Joseph County Jail in August of 2010. While incarcerated, Parahams made numerous phone calls to his co-conspirators which were openly recorded by the jail as a normal course of business. These recordings showed that Parahams was still actively involved with the scheme while incarcerated.

Parahams and others started the scheme in 2009 with the submission of false 2008 tax returns. The scheme continued with the submission of 2009 tax returns and then 2010 tax returns. The last tax return identified with the scheme was filed with the Internal Revenue Service in July 2011.

This case was handled by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana.Frank Schaffer, Assistant U.S. Attorney.This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Department.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on March 26, 2014: Kelvin B. Walker, 49, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a six count Indictment with making a false claim on IRS tax returns on or about April 18, 2011, February 16, 2011, January
19, 2012, March 30, 2011, January 7, 2012 and April 17, 2012. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

DISPOSITION (before Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen)

Joseph Smith, 23, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 30 months term of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release on his guilty plea to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute heroin.According to documents filed in this case, local law enforcement officers were notified of Smith’s involvement in the distribution of heroin.After investigations were conducted, it was determined that Smith drove another individual to various locations to deliver narcotics.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

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

DISPOSITIONS (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann)

Jose Noe Perea Casteneda, 41, of Goshen, Indiana was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess a controlled substance. Supervised release was not ordered as defendant may be subject to deportation.According to documents filed in this case, Castenda was a supplier of cocaine to several individuals distributing narcotics in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Deangelo Copeland, 36, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release for armed bank robbery and was also sentenced to 60 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release for carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.The firearms sentence is to be served consecutively to the armed bank robbery sentence.Copeland was also sentenced to pay $16,405.39 in restitution.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, a local credit union was robbed by two assailants.Local law enforcement investigations determined that Copeland assisted in the robbery’s planning and execution.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Sergio Alvarez-Arellano, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment with 4 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely 500 grams or more of cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, Alvarez-Arellano was a supplier of cocaine to several individuals distributing narcotics in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

PLEAS (before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein):

David Diederich, 58, of La Porte, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 6/26/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Brittany Coburn, 23, of La Porte, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of obstructing the mail. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Office of the Inspector General.Sentencing has been set for 6/11/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

DISPOSITIONS( before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr..)

Evan Vanator, 23, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with 1 year supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm while being an illegal user of controlled substances.According to documents filed in this case, Vanator possessed a Keltec semi-automatic handgun in his residence in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Vanator was also an illegal user of marijuana during his possession of this firearm. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Robert Lyons, 32, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment with 4 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of manufacturing marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, in May 2013, law enforcement officers discovered marijuana growth system in Lyons’ residence. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on March 26, 2014: Beau A. Eldridge, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a single count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about February 22, 2014. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

PLEAS (before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein:)

Brian Baker, 23, of South Bend, Indiana, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offenses of possessing heroin with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 6/26/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Robert D. Carrico, 29, of South Bend, Indiana, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offenses of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of firearms in furtherance of federal drug trafficking crimes. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 6/25/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

DISPOSITION( before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.)

Abraham DeLuna-Esparza, 39, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment to be served concurrently with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of illegally re-entering the United States after being deported subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony andto possessing cocaine/marijuana with intent to distribute.According to documents filed in this case, DeLuna was arrested in March 2010 for the possession of approximately 15 pounds of marijuana.He was convicted sentenced to 3 months incarceration.DeLuna was then turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for removal from the United States because he was a citizen of Mexico.DeLuna was formally removed to Mexico in June 2010 through Laredo, Texas.At no time thereafter was Deluna given any permission to lawfully re-enter the United States.In December 2013, Deluna was found at his residence in South Bend, Indiana.Agents and police searched the home and recovered a loaded Ruger 9 mm handgun, 47 pounds marijuana, and 493.3 grams of cocaine (powder).This case was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Bend Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

PLEA:

Linda Rosenberg, 59, pled guilty before to the felony offenses of conspiracy to receive kickbacks for the referral of Medicaid and Medicare patients to other service providers, dispensing a controlled substance outside of the scope of professional practice and misbranding.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

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

DISPOSITION:

Kenneth Robinson, 36, of Illinois, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon tomonths imprisonment and years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of health care fraud by submitting false claims to Indiana Medicaid for Medicaid recipients’ physician office visits in July 2011.According to documents filed in this case, Robinson caused over $5,000 in medical claims to be submitted to not only Indiana Medicaid but also to other medical insurance providers including the Medicare program. This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

PLEAS (before District Judge Roger B. Cosbey:)

Bryant Davis, 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has not been scheduled.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Matthew Vanschoick, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of bank robbery. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Sentencing has not been set.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

DISPOSITIONS (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:)

Brandon Betz, 33, of Bluffton, Indiana was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant.According to documents filed in this case, Betz along with several others assaulted a fellow inmate in Wells County jail.The motive for the attack was retaliation against an inmate who was perceived as a “snitch” and a cooperator with law enforcement. Betz, along with several others, threatened the assaulted inmate with further attacks should that perceived cooperation continue.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Hammond South Bend Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana - The United States Attorney's Office announced that it filed an
Information on February 13, 2014: Scott Robb, 44, of West Chester, Ohio, is charged in a two count Information with theft of property of the Veterans Administration Medical Center on or about August 19, 2010, and introduction into interstate commerce of stolen medical devices that were misbranded from between on or about August 19, 2010, and November 22, 2011. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Office of Inspector General of the Veterans Administration and the Office of Criminal Investigation U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

DISPOSITIONS (before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.):

Lawrence Tinsman, 67, of Plymouth, Indiana was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment with 5 years of supervised release and to pay $500 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of material involving a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Tinsman possessed a computer onto which he had downloaded, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program, numerous images and videos that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Using this same file sharing system, Tinsman made the files available to be downloaded by other individuals seeking child pornography. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Nora Guardiola, 36, of Sheldon, Illinois was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly and intentionally distributing cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, Guardiola was involved in delivering seven ounces of cocaine to the Kentland, Indiana area. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

William Speybroeck, 35, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release, a $3,000 fine and to pay $9,250 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly possessing and/or disposing of stolen merchandise across state lines.According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Speybroeck shipped a piece of drilling equipment from South Bend, Indiana to Nebraska.Speybroek was aware the equipment was stolen.He was paid $9000 via wire transfer. This case was the result of an investigation by the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Gary Franklin, 50, of Elkhart, Indiana was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and to pay $42,500 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly and intentionally receiving, possessing, concealing, selling, or disposing of stolen vehicles that had crossed state lines after being stolen.According to documents filed in this case, in September 2012, law enforcement discovered an excavator on property Franklin was renting in Niles, Michigan. The excavator had been stolen from an Indiana job site and moved across state lines. Franklin was in possession of the stolen excavator and had reason to believe the excavator had crossed state lines after being stolen. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Ronald Holmes, 47, of Griffith, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 4 years of probation, a $30,000 fine and 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a felony Information charging him with causing the discharge of pollutants into the Hammond Sanitary District’s publicly owned treatment works when he had not been issued a permit by the Hammond Sanitary District to do so.In a separate Information, NH Environmental pleaded guilty to negligently violating a national pretreatment standard under the Clean Water Act, in that the company negligently discharged, trucked or hauled pollutants, including industrial, sanitary, and food industry-related wastes, into a publicly owned treatment works at a location that had not been designated, approved, or otherwise permitted. NH Environmental was sentenced to 4 years of probation, a $75,000 in restitution to the City of Hammond, $25,000 in restitution to the Hammond Sanitary District and a $70,000 fine.According to documents filed in this case, Holmes and East Chicago based NH Environmental Group, Inc. (“Tierra”), a company owned by Holmes, both pleaded guilty to Clean Water Act violations. Holmes told Tierra managers to direct the company’s drivers to dispose of liquid wastes by regularly discharging tanker truckloads down a drain inside a building that was owned and/or controlled by Holmes and located in Hammond, Indiana. This case was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston, Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section Senior Counsel James A. Morgulec and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Mucha.

South Bend, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on March 12, 2014:

Andre Allen Forbes, 31, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a seven-count Indictment with one-count of distributing cocaine, four-counts of distributing crack cocaine, one-count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one-count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the South Bend Police Department – Metro Special Operations Section and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Brian M. Kandefer, 36, of San Diego, California, and K2 Capital Management Inc. located in LaJolla, California were both charged in a fifty-one-count Indictment.Kandefer was charged with twenty-counts of wire fraud, twenty-counts of mail fraud, one-count of conspiracy to commit fraud, and ten-counts of money laundering.K2 Capital Management Inc. was charged with twenty-counts of wire fraud, twenty-counts of mail fraud, and one-count of conspiracy to commit fraud.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Erskine A. Jones, 22, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one-count Indictment with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the South Bend Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Demarcus Moran, 23, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one-count Indictment with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the South Bend Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Wanda C. Shorter, 43, of Elkhart, Indiana and Empowerment Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, Inc. located in Elkhart, Indiana, were both charged in a four-count Indictment with one-count of healthcare fraud and three-counts of aggravated identity theft.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Indiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Otis A. Tate, 25, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a two-count Indictment with one-count being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and one-count possessing a stolen firearm.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the South Bend Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.

Aaron Mendoza, 34, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one count Indictment with illegal alien in possession of a firearm.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.

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

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

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

PLEA (before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.)

Quintin T. Ferguson, 24, of Mishawaka, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possessing heroin with intent to distribute. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Sentencing has been set for 6/25/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

DISPOSITIONS

(before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.)

Quintien Walker, 22, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, in July 213, Walker provided a false written statement in obtaining a firearm. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

(before District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio)

Alicia Green, 28, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release and ordered to pay $99,501.94 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of defrauding the United States government.According to documents filed in this case, Walker participated with others in a false tax return preparation and filing scheme in South Bend, Indiana. Individuals prepared and submitted Forms 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, with false or inflated Forms W-2 to obtain false tax refunds. This scheme resulted in the submission of approximately 1,189 false tax refunds for tax years 2008, 2009, and 2010. Beginning in 2009, Walker opened and controlled bank accounts that received tax refunds from some of these false tax returns and she shared in the proceeds generated by these false tax returns. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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

PLEAS:

Darian Brown, 36, of Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of mail fraud.Sentencing has been set for 5/21/14. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Roy Dunn, 60, of Winamac, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Hoosier EMS Inc. et al., pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of conspiracy to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare in connection with ambulance transportation for Medicare recipients in Northwest Indiana.Sentencing has been set for 5/20/14. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the US Department of Health and Human Services.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Berkowitz and Thomas McGrath.

Jeanetta Brown, 32, of Calumet City, Illinois, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of making false statements with respect to information required to be kept in the records of a federally licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of a firearm.Magistrate Cherry is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

James Gerodemos, 50, of Schererville, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of engaging in the business of dealing in explosive material without a license.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

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

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

DISPOSITION

(before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann:)

Keana Davis, 33, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment with 8 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly distributing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, in June 2013, Davis’s residence was searched by law enforcement officers.Approximately 175.9 grams of a white powdered substance along with $3,820 in cash were discovered. Over 28 grams of the white powdered substance tested positive as crack.Among the currency found in the residence were two $100 bills used as part of a controlled buy.Additional items used in the production and distribution of drugs were found at the residence.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

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

Patrick J. Condon, Jr., 41, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one-count Indictment with theft of government money; the unlawful receipt of federal unemployment insurance benefits. Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the United States Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Z. Brook.

Tiffany J. Miller, 28, of Cromwell, Indiana, was charged in a one-count Indictment with theft of government money; the unlawful receipt of federal unemployment insurance benefits.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the United States Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Z. Brook.

John O. Williams, 43, of Osceola, Indiana, was charged in a one-count Indictment with theft of government money; the unlawful receipt of federal unemployment insurance benefits.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the United States Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Z. Brook.

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

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

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

PLEA (before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein)

Javier Gomez-Sanchez, 31, of South Bend, Indiana, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally distributing a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.Sentencing has been set for 6/5/2014.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

DISPOSITIONS( before District Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.)

Carmen Leon, 44, of Edinburg, Texas was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment with 5 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of conspiracy to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit money laundering.According to documents filed in this case, beginning in approximately 2000 and continuing into early 2010, Leon knowingly agreed with others to possess and distribute various illegal drugs throughout the country including Indiana, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina. The illegal drugs distributed included cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine.Leon distributed these drugs using several other persons who would drive the drugs to specific locations and at times pick up proceeds from the sale of drugs and return them to Leon in Texas. From about 2003 to 2006, Leon supplied cocaine in Milwaukee on a regular basis for distribution.In February of 2009, the Border Patrol at Falfurrias, Texas seized approximately 26 kilograms of cocaine Leon had intended to distribute.During the same time period Leon utilized the buying and selling of nationwide auctioned automobiles to conceal her drug profits.Leon started a business known as CL Auto Sales that operated primarily in Texas for the purpose of concealment of her drug profits. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Maria San Juana Fernandez, 41, of Edinburg, Texas was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements and penalty.According to documents filed in this case, in May 2007, Fernandez opened CL Auto Sales which was in actuality a business used for money laundering from illegal narcotics activities.Fernandez structured bank deposits in small enough volumes to avoid banking and federal scrutiny.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Cesar Leon, 23, of Edinburg, Texas was sentenced to a total of 70 months imprisonment for with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and structuring money transactions to evade reporting requirements.According to documents filed in this case, during the fall of2008, Leon conspired with several persons to distribute marijuana in various states (including Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana) throughout the United States. Marijuana brought into Texas would be shipped by various means, including by vehicles, to these locations where the drugs were unloaded and distributed to others.Proceeds from these transactions were used at times to purchase vehicles. Leon was provided the funds those purchases and made cash payments under $10,000 in order to avoid the car dealers’ responsibility to report cash transactions over $10,000.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

Abdul Amin Shabazz, 39, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of felon in possession of a firearm.According to documents filed in this case, Shabazz possessed a .32 caliber pistol which he attempted to discard along with a bag of marijuana while he ran from police officers.Shabazz has prior convictions including robbery, carrying a handgun without a license, possession of cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ken Hays.

Jose Patlan, 38, of Longansport, Indiana was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment with 4 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly and intentionally conspiring to deliver a mixture or substance that contained over five hundred (500) grams of cocaine and/or over 100 kilograms of marijuana.According to documents filed in this case, b etween May 2012, and July 2012, Patlan was involved with distributing marijuana in the Logansport, Indiana area.Law enforcement raided Patlan’s residence on July 16, 2012, and discovered marijuana and $1,500 from drug transactions. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

DISPOSTIONS (before District Judge Jon E. De Guilio)

Darius Witherspoon, 21, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 154 months, 3 years supervised release and to pay $66,965 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of bank robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.According to documents filed in this case, on July 10, 2013, Witherspoon with accomplices stole approximately $13,165 from a bank in Edwardsburg, Michigan. On August 7, 2013, Witherspoon with accomplices also stole approximately $53,800 belonging from a bank in Bristol, Indiana.Witherspoon brandished a firearm in both robberies. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Horacio Hernandez, 51, of Goshen, Indiana was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of reentry as a deported alien.According to documents filed in this case, in May 2011, Hernandez was deported as an aggravated felon through the Laredo, Texas port of entry. After his deportation, Hernandez illegally re-entered the country and was later arrested.This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk

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

PLEAS:

Anthony Bitterling, 40, of Winimac, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Hoosier EMS Inc. et al., pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of conspiring with other individuals to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare in connection with ambulance transportation.Sentencing has been set for 5/8/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Medicare Fraud Control Unit, and the US Department of Health and Human Services.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Berkowitz and Thomas McGrath.

Karen Stone, 57, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of embezzlement of Union Funds.Sentencing has been set for 5/14/14.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Department of Labor-Office of Management Standards.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Jose Reyes-Zuniga, 32, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 6 months imprisonment and, if not deported, 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of fraudulent use of a Social Security number.According to documents filed in this case, Reyes-Zuniga used a social security number that did not belong to him for purposes of gaining employment. He admitted to purchasing identification and a social security number from a person in Chicago.Reyes-Zuniga entered the United States illegally from Mexico. This case was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the East Chicago Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gary Bell and Philip Benson.

Christian Austin, 27, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 51 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.According to documents filed in this case, Austin was transporting heroin to Chicago on behalf of an acquaintance when he was pulled over for a traffic violation. Approximately 2.1 kilograms of heroin was found in the vehicle. This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline Jacobs.

Virlissa Crenshaw, 43, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 30 months imprisonment, $176,763.07 in restitution to the town of Merrillville and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of theft from a local government entity receiving federal funds and making false statements on a tax return.According to documents filed in this case, during Ms. Crenshaw’s tenure of collecting bond money for the Merrillville Town Court, in excess of 400 criminal cases were not docketed in the court system because the bond money was stolen and no criminal case was ever docketed. Ms. Crenshaw essentially engaged in a Ponzi scheme by shuffling bond money from one case to another in attempts to conceal her theft, allowing her to steal even more money. This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Benson.

Terrance Winton, 49, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 37 months imprisonment, a $10,000.00 fine and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.According to documents filed in this case, pursuant to information from a confidential source, a federal search warrant was executed at Winton’s residence in March 2013. Agents seized approximately one ounce of crack cocaine (13 grams were uncut and the rest was packaged for sale) from the kitchen. In Winton’s bedroom, agents seized four pistols. Additionally, there were seven long guns in a gun cabinet including a stolen AK-47 and a stolen Springfield rifle. This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Mark Alan Smith, 44, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 108 months imprisonment and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of receipt of child pornography.According to documents filed in this case, over the course of at least 1 ½ years, Smith received over 400,000 images and over 1,500 videos depicting minor children being sexually exploited and abused. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Booker Rogers, 47, of West Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 105 months imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of failure to register as a sex offender.According to documents filed in this case, Rogers was convicted of sexual abuse of a 14 year old female in 1999, a four year old child in 2007, and failure to register as a sex offender in 2010 and 2011.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the United States Marshal’s Service.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Adam Buckler, 29, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 225 months imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of child pornography.According to documents filed in this case, Buckler was found to possess over 24,000 images and 600 videos depicting minor children as young as toddlers being forced to engage in sexually explicit conduct. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kokomo Police Department and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Octavio Casas-Garcia, 45, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 5 months imprisonment and, if not deported, 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of illegal re-entry after having been convicted of a felony.Casas-Garcia has a prior conviction for possession of marijuana in Texas.This case was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Benson.

Antoine McClain, 31, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 21 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed in this case, McClain has prior felony convictions for possession of cocaine and attempted larceny in a building, as well as 11 other misdemeanors. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the East Chicago Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Tyrone Benson, 38, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 27 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Benson has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance in San Diego, California. This case was a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Javante Toran, 21, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 6 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Toran has a prior felony conviction for theft in Lake County,Indiana.This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Kenneth Sandidge, 54, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 92 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Sandidge has a prior felony conviction for pointing a firearm in Lake County, Indiana. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Carl Powers, 54, of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 33 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.According to documents filed in this case, Powers defrauded two lenders by inducing them to provide mortgage loans to the buyers through the use of materially false representations, and in so doing, to fraudulently obtain a portion of those funds.Powers also defrauded the buyers by inducing them to purchase properties and seek mortgage loans through the use of materially false representations, and in doing so, to fraudulently obtain a portion of those funds. This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Jerome Robinson, 24, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 36 months of probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of heroin.This case was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Chester Washington, 43, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to3 years of probation with 8 months of home detention after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed in this case, Washington has prior felony convictions for possession of cocaine and battery in 1995. This case was a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the Lake County Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.