Northern District of Indiana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

Six members of the Latin Kings street gang were sentenced before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano in federal court this week for racketeering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney David Capp and Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Oscar Gonzalez, 23, of Hammond, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment and, if not deported, 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty on June 26, 2012 to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute cocaine and marijuana.

Martin Anaya, 42, of Chicago, was sentenced to 360 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release after a jury returned a guilty verdict on Sept. 25, 2012, to racketeering and drug conspiracies.

Jason Ortiz, 29, of Chicago, was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty on July 30, 2010, to racketeering conspiracy.During his guilty plea proceeding, Ortiz acknowledged that on Feb. 25, 2007, he, along with four other defendants, rode on a “mission” from Illinois to Griffith, Indiana.  While armed with three firearms, they were ordered to ambush rival gang members who were attending a party. Once two Latin Dragon members James Walsh, aka “Jim Boy” and  Gonzalo Diaz left the party, the Latin Kings, including Ortiz, rode up in a vehicle and two of Ortiz’s co-defendants got out of the vehicle and shot and killed Walsh and Diaz.

Jermaine Ellis, 23, of Chicago, was sentenced to 205 months imprisonment and years of supervised release after pleading guilty on October 21, 2010 to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. Ellis, who became a Latin King member at an early age, admitted that while a juvenile he participated in the shooting deaths of James Walsh and Gonzalo Diaz in Griffith, Indiana.

Antonio Martinez, Jr., 42, of Chicago, a former officer with the Chicago Police Department, was sentenced to 144 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty on December 2, 2011to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. According to court records, Martinez and another officer committed armed robberies on behalf of a Latin Kings gang member, at times while in uniform and driving police-issued vehicles. They stole drugs, weapons and cash, and in some instances were given a portion of the funds they stole as payment for committing the armed robberies.

Hiluterio Chavez, 37, of Chicago, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty on January 24, 2012 to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. Among other crimes, Chavez participated in a robbery with Martinez and presented himself as a law enforcement officer.

According to the indictments filed in this case, the Latin Kings is a nationwide gang that originated in Chicago and has branched out throughout the United States.  The Latin Kings is a well organized street gang that has specific leadership and is composed of regions that include multiple chapters. The Latin Kings enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, assault and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the Latin Kings.  Members are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, including taking on assignments often referred to as “missions.”The indictments charge that the Latin Kings were responsible for more than 20 murders.

Twenty-three Latin Kings members and associates have been indicted in this case.Fourteen have now been sentenced.Of the nine remaining, seven have pled guilty, one case was dismissed and one is a fugitive.

These cases were investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Immigration and Custom Office of Homeland Security Investigations; the National Gang Targeting, Enforcement & Coordination Center; the National Gang Intelligence Center; the Chicago Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Griffith Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the Highland Police Department; and the Houston Police Department.The investigation of the Chicago Police Department officers was conducted by Chicago City Public Corruption Task Force, a Chicago Police Department- Internal Affairs and FBI - Chicago law enforcement initiative.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick, and Joseph A. Cooley, Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice - Organized Crime and Gang Section.

Fort Wayne, INCThe United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on May 22, 2013: Rico Parrish, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was charged in a single count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about May 17, 2013. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Christopher Seals, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was charged in a three count Indictment with armed bank robbery, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about February 14, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Armando Herrera-Velasquez, 41, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 1 count of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013. Manuel Herrera, 43, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 2 counts of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013 and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine from on or about November 20, 2012, to on or about February 19, 2013. Elida Herrera, 51, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 2 counts of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013 and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine from on or about November 20, 2012, to on or about February 19, 2013. Maria Patricia Herrera, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 1 count of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013. Efren Paniagua-Pizano, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 1 count of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013. Luis Tapia, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 1 count of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013, and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine from on or about July 28, 2012, to on or about February 19, 2013. Juan Perez, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged in 1 count of a 3 count Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013. This case was superseded to include defendant Perez in the conspiracy. These charges were filed as a result of this investigation conducted by the 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 has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
##END##

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Michael A Volpe, 44, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of wire fraud and money laundering.Magistrate Nuechterleinis recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police.Sentencing is set for 8/15/2013 10:00 AM in US District Court - South Bend before Judge Jon E DeGuilio.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Alfonso Salinas, 52, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offenses of bribery involving federal programs and income tax evasion.Sentencing has been set for 8/13/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Joshua Robinson, 22, of Lafayette, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.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, the Tippecanoe County Police Department and the Lafayette Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Che Williams, 21, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich to the felony offense of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.Magistrate Rodovich is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Indiana University Northwest Police and the Gary Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Jesus Vasquez, 35, of Cicero, Illinois, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine.Sentencing has been set for 7/24/13.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 David Nozick.

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

DISPOSITION:

Jennifer Guelinas, 55, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 4 years of probation, to include 12 months of detention, and restitution of $1,122,540.00 to Ameriprise Financial Services after pleading guilty to the felony offense of wire fraud.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Noe Diaz, 33, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 121 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and fifty grams or more of methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Cesar Diaz, 39, of Calumet City, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 30 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of cocaine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Marquis Young, 22, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge James Moody to 84 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.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 Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

Hammond, Indiana C United States Attorney David Capp announced that three indictments were returned as a result of investigations by the public corruption task force.

Vahan Kelerchian, 53, of Richboro, Pennsylvania, is charged in a nine count indictment.Kelerchian is the principal owner and operator of Armament Services International, a company located in the Philadelphia area engaged in the sales of firearms, primarily through the internet. The indictment alleges that Kelerchian, from November 2008 to January 2010, conspired with Joseph Kumstar and Ronald Slusser to make false statements concerning the acquisition of firearms.Kumstar and Slusser are both former Lake County Sheriff deputies who were indicted for this conduct in September 2010.Both have since plead guilty, are awaiting sentencing and cooperating with the United States Attorney’s Office.

Essentially, the indictment alleges that Kelerchian, Kumstar and Slusser utilized the Lake County Sheriff ‘s Department to acquire approximately 71 machine guns representing that those firearms were to be owned and utilized by the sheriff’s department for law enforcement purposes.In actuality, it is alleged that Kelerchian, Kumstar and Slusser acquired these firearms for themselves and broke the firearms down into certain component parts and sold those parts at considerable profit.

The indictment also alleges a conspiracy among the same individuals to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning the acquisition of approximately 74 restricted laser sights which can only be obtained by law enforcement or the military.Similar misrepresentations concerning the acquisition and use by the Lake County Sheriff’s department are alleged in this count.

Kelerchian is also charged with conspiring with Joseph Kumstar to provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with letters purportedly from the sheriff’s department requesting demonstrations of machine guns when in fact they knew there would be no such demonstrations.

The indictment also charges that on or about July 31, 2008, Kelerchian gave Kumstar a certain firearm intending to award or influence Kumstar in connection with transactions concerning the Lake County Sheriff’s department. The final count of the indictment alleges a conspiracy by Kelerchain, Kumstar and Slusser to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of specified unlawful activity.

Roman Perez, 41, of Crown Point, Indiana, is charged with one count of making false statements under oath on a tax return and one count of making a false statement in a bankruptcy proceeding.The Indictment alleges that Perez understated his total taxable income for 2007 by approximately $110,108.00, of which approximately $80,000 constituted payments from both the Treasurer of Lake County, Indiana, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Commissary Fund, to Roman Art Inc., a graphic design business owned and operated by Perez; and that Perez understated his gross income for the year 2009 by an amount in excess of $40,000 in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case.The United States Attorney’s Office will today file a plea agreement wherein Perez has agreed to plead guilty to these charges and will cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office.

Current Lake County Surveyor George Van Til, 65, of Merrillville, Indiana, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice.

The indictment alleges that Van Til,beginning in or about November 2007 and continuing through December 2012, devised a scheme to defraud Lake County of money and property by utilizing county employees to perform personal services and political services so that Van Til would be re-elected as Lake County Surveyor.

The indictment also alleges that Van Til directed an employee to remove a hard drive from a Lake County computer and to replace it with another hard drive.Van Til gave that employee $100 cash in order to purchase the replacement hard drive from a local retailer.Van Til was concerned that federal authorities might come to the Surveyor’s office and confiscate the hard drive.

The indictment further alleges that Van Til told that same employee “And by the way, if by some chance down the line there’s ever a conversation, we never had these conversations.”

Van Til’s alleged conduct with respect to this particular employee forms the basis for the two obstruction of justice counts.

United States Attorney Capp advised that these indictments were the result of the ongoing investigative effort by the public corruption task force.That task force is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Indiana State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office.In the Kelerchian indictment, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Food and Drug were principally involved.Capp thanked these agencies and departments for their continued cooperative efforts in the important area of public corruption.Capp stated, “As I have said before, our public corruption effort is ongoing and we will continue to investigate and, where appropriate, seek federal indictments against those who abuse the public trust.”

These cases have been assigned to and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Benson, Gary Bell and Joshua Kolar.

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]

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

PLEAS:

Ricky Hemphill, 20, and Timothy Whitfield, 21, of South Bend, Indiana, defendants in the case US v Shaw et al., pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of racketeering.Whitfield also pled guilty to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty pleas.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation.Sentencing for both has been set for 8/8/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Bend Police Department.These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Omar Lewis, 34, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 6/26/13.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 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

DISPOSITION:

Ivan Quiroz, 32, of Posen, Illinois, a defendant in the case US v Vargas et al., was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy to 25 years imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering activity, one count of narcotics conspiracy, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity, and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence and drug trafficking .This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the National Gang Targeting, Enforcement & Coordination Center (GangTECC); the National Gang Intelligence Center; the Chicago Police Department; the Griffith Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the Highland Police Department; the Lake County, Indiana, HIDTA and the Houston, Texas Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph Cooley of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Gang Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

James Dodson, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Luther Vanhoosier, 54, of Redkey, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jay County Sheriff’s Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

Craig Whigum, 19, and Brenton Ennis, 19, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offenses of robbery of firearms and money and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty pleas.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Police Department and the New Haven Police Department.These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Evangelos Doublas, 33, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pulaski County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department and the Fort Wayne Police Department.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:

Danny Villarreal, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 70 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General and the Allen County Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

Fort Wayne, Indiana — United States Attorney David Capp announced today that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne returned 14 Indictments on March 28, 2013 charging several conspiracies to distribute narcotics as well as firearm charges.

In March 2011, an investigation by the Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force under the direction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed the existence of a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy operating in northeastern Indiana. The initial stages of the investigation identified Pedro Salud Rubio-Garcia an alleged drug supplier in the Steuben County area, and the subsequent use of several court authorized wiretaps of various telephones identified Manuel Herrera and Armando Herrera-Velasquez and others, as operating an illegal drug supply network in northeast Indiana.The following 20 individuals are named in the 14 Indictments:

#1

Pedro Salud Rubio-Garcia, 25, of Fremont, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and the selling and transfer of a firearm to a known convicted felon.

Jose Noe Perea Casteneda, 40, of Goshen, Indiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

#2

Armando Herrera-Velasquez, 41, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

Manuel Herrera, 43, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine.

Elida Herrera, 51, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine.

Maria Patricia Herrera, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

Efren Paniagua-Pizano, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

Luis Tapia, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine.

#3

Armando Gonzales-Gutierrez, 43, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#4

Darwin Altamirano, 29, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#5

Juan Corona, 33, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#6

Damian Dubose, 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#7

Leobardo Gaona, 39, of Huntertown, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#8

Gelacio Marintez, 36, of Sturgis, Michigan is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#9

Gerardo Martinez-Gaston, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#10

Juan Pena, 20, of Sturgis, Michigan is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#11

Guadalupe C. Luna, of Fremont, Indiana is charged with distribution of cocaine.

#12

Cynthia L. Sanchez, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana is charged with distribution of cocaine.

#13

Jerry Sell, 45, of Van Wert, Ohio is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility.

#14

John Bennett, 35, of Sturgis, Michigan is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and use of a communication facility.

These charges were filed as a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, which is  comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Marshals Service; Angola City Police Department; Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit; IMAGE Drug Task Force; Michigan State Police; New Haven Police Department; South Bend Police Department; and the Steuben County Sheriff's Department assisted with this investigation.

On Thursday May 9, 2013, law enforcement arrested the following individuals in the Fort Wayne area: Efren Paniagua-Pizano, Luis Tapia, Pedro Salud Rubio-Garcia, Guadalupe Carmona Luna, Armando Gonzalez – Gutierrez, Gerardo Martinez – Gaston, Juan Corona, Jose Noe Perea Casteneda, Jerry Sell, Maria Patricia Herrera, Cynthia Lynn Sanchez, Damian Dubose, Juan Pena, and Leobardo Gaona.Arrested in Las Vegas Nevada were Manuel Herreraand Elida Herrera.Arrested in Michigan were Gelacio Martinez and John Bennett.

On that same date, the FBI served search warrants on several residences and seized multiple vehicles to include:

1606 Saint Louis Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46819

117 E. DeWald Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46803

3026 Pennsylvania Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46803

1024 East Paulding Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46806

600 West North, Lot 13, Fremont, IN

3009 Oliver Street Fort Wayne, IN

7555 Decatur Road lot 28, Fort Wayne, IN

Blue 2012 Chevrolet Cruze

Silver 2009 Pontiac Vibe

Red 2006 Ford F-150

Black 2007 GMC Yukon

White 2009 Lincoln MKS

Black 2003 GMC Yukon

White 2008 Pontiac G6

United States Court Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey has set initial appearances for the arrested individuals from this area which were held May 9 and to be held on May 10, 2013.The individual defendants have made and will be making their appearances, detention hearings and arraignments in front of Magistrate Judge in the coming days.

These cases have been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

COMPLAINT:

Nathan Demar Huey-Dingle, 31, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged by Complaint with sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and transporting across state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Raymond Alger, 49, of Granger, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 27 months imprisonment, a $5000.00 fine and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of child pornography.This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Jeremy Dyer, 32, of Iroquois, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 48 months imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of use of a phone in the distribution of marijuana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Karla Ruelas, 23, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 15 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and mail fraud.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Ruelas admitted that she worked for Servicios Mi Tierra (SMT) in South Bend, Indiana.She was hired by Paulino Ascencion-Apolino to perform assorted services for members of the Hispanic community in the South Bend area, in part because she could speak Spanish as well as English.Among other things, she helped aliens of Hispanic descent who were in the United States in violation of immigration laws. Illegal aliens cannot register their motor vehicles with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) because they cannot obtain a Social Security Number (SSN).Ruelas would generate an Employer Identification Number (EIN) as a substitute for an SSN and then use that EIN in the BMV registration process. As part of her duties at SMT, she would sign other peoples' names, both buyers and sellers, to vehicle titles and other paperwork without their permission.She would also change the vehicles' purchase price in order to reduce the amount of tax that SMT's customers would have to pay to the State of lndiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Hays.

Richard Hodges, 69, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 2 years of supervised release and $31,302.00 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft of Social Security Retirement Income Benefits.Hodges continued to collect his father’s monthly benefit payments after his father had passed away.This case was the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

Jeffrey Cripe, 38, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 20 years imprisonment and 25 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of child pornography.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Cripe made child pornography available to be downloaded between January 2012 and July 2012.The material he made available included sadistic images of minors being sexually abused. Messages recovered from Cripe’s computer also indicated that he had approached numerousfemale minors between the ages of 12 and 16 years old online for a period over a year and a half,and enticed them into performing sexual acts and creating pornographic images of themselves for him. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Eric Arnold, 40, of Macy, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 27 months imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of use of a communication facility to distribute marijuana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

COMPLAINT:

Nathan Demar Huey-Dingle, 31, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged by Complaint with sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and transporting across state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

PLEA:

Joshua Atwood, 29, of Crown Point, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of possession of child pornography.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Francisco Perez, 32, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation.Sentencing has been set for 8/1/13.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 Frank Schaffer.

DISPOSITIONS:

Michael Hostetler, 29, of Portage, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 96 months imprisonment, $2000.00 in restitution to each of two victims, a $5000.00 fine and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.According to documents filed by the government in this case, a Michigan City Police Department officer using a computer connected to the Internet launched a publicly available peer-to-peer ("P2P") file sharing program from his office in the Michigan City Police Department. The officer browsed the shared directories and was able to download at least three images that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The IP address was identified as belonging to Hostetler.A search warrant was obtained authorizing a search of Hostetler’s residence where law enforcement found videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct saved to a laptop computer belonging to Hostetler.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan City Police Department and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Maria Sustaita, 50, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 24 months plus 12 days imprisonment, $6,836.14 in restitution and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of aggravated identity theft and obstruction of correspondence.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Sustaita added her name, or an alias, to the existing credit card accounts of victims without their knowledge; made purchases on these takeover credit accounts of the victims without their knowledge; opened new credit card accounts utilizing the personal identifying information of the victims without their knowledge;made personal purchases on these fraudulently opened credit cards without the knowledge of the victims; redirected U.S. mail from the address of the victims to her residence; and redirected the victims mail, as well as any other correspondence or packages associated with the fraudulently obtained credit cards. The victims were seniors - one victim was born in 1925 making him 87 years of age and the other victim was born in 1926 making her 86 years of age. The defendant entered the homes of these individuals with the express purpose of victimizing them based upon their age. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Jose Zambrano, 33, of Chicago, Illinois, a defendant in the case US v Vargas et al., was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 240 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.Zambrano, a member of the Latin Kings street gang, conspired to conduct and participate in the conduct of the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting of multiple acts involving murder, robbery and narcotics trafficking. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the National Gang Targeting, Enforcement & Coordination Center (GangTECC); the National Gang Intelligence Center; the Chicago Police Department; the Griffith Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the Highland Police Department; the Lake County, Indiana, HIDTA and the Houston, Texas Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph Cooley of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Gang Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Marcus McCants, 35, of Sauk Village, Illinois, a defendant in the case US v Powell et al., was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 57 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute one kilo or more of heroin.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

DISPOSITION:

Mark Honer, 29, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 92 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.According to documents filed by the government in this case, during the course of the investigation, crack cocaine was purchased from Honer and all were “controlled” drug transactions. 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

Hammond, Indiana- The United States Attorney’s Office announced that the following Indictments were returned on May 1, 2013:

Antonio Collins, 36, of Merrillville, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.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 Thomas McGrath.

Brian Washington, 26, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with two counts of distribution of crack cocaine, two counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and two counts of dealing in firearms without a license.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 Thomas McGrath.

Tony Bronson, 53, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan City Police Department.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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

South Bend, Indiana -- United States Attorney David Capp announced:

Robert E. Miller, 60, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty at trial on one count of tax evasion.According to the indictment filed by the government in this case, Miller willfully attempted to evade and defeat the payment of a substantial part of the income tax due and owing by him for the calendar years 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the cumulative amount of more than $150,000 by, among other things, failing to pay taxes due and owing despite having employment and substantial income; asking his employer not to make out checks to him in his name; avoiding the use of personal bank accounts and using Green Dot cards to conduct his financial business; and making several false statements to IRS personnel including falsely denying that he had income, falsely denying that he had a job, and falsely denying that he had a bank account. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Robert Pulliam, 52, of New Carlisle, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of manufacturing marijuana.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 7/31/13.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 Frank Schaffer.

Dale Hite, 27, of Plymouth, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 7/25/13.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 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.

DISPOSITION:

Shawn Lunsford, 35, of Peru, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 63 months imprisonment and 25 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of child pornography. Based on an ongoing investigation, a gents from the FBI Cybercrimes Unit and other affiliated agencies executed a search warrant at Lunsford’s residence in order to search any computers that were found in the home for the presence of child pornography. Lunsford was found to be in possession of approximately 7,073 images, approximately 1000 of which were prepubescent minors. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Jose Gonzalez, 31, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.Sentencing has been set for 8/7/13.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 Joshua Kolar.

Johana Velazquez, 29, of Rensselaer, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.Sentencing has been set for 6/27/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Illinois State Police.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Krystal Puntillo-Raggs, 21, Javorious Raggs, 22, and Terrence Benson, 22, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of passing counterfeit obligations.Sentencing for Raggs and Benson has been set for 7/12/13.Puntillo-Raggs will be sentenced on 8/13/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Darren Williams, 34, of Lafayette, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of possession of child pornography.Sentencing has been set for 7/10/13.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Columbus, Indiana Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Julian Rebeles, 22, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Sentencing has been set for 7/10/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the Hammond Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Phillip Ramos, II, 25, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 27 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.According to documents filed by the government, during a traffic stop involving Ramos, Hammond Police found a black duffle bag holding eight plastic bags containing a total of 3600 gross grams of a green leafy substance purported to be marijuana. Additionally the duffle bag contained six ounces of a white rock like substance purported to be cocaine, along with a Volunteer Enterprises and Smith and Wesson revolvers.A Sentry Safe was also located in the trunk of the vehicle that contained 647 gross grams of marijuana, a bag that contained 22.5 gross grams of cocaine and assorted prescription pills. This case was the 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 David Nozick.

Nathan Elmore, 22, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 121 months imprisonment, $21,440.80 in restitution and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of the robberies of Rally’s, Family Dollar, Church’s Chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Auto Zone in Gary, Indiana; Game Stop and Auto Zone in Hammond, Indiana; and the armed robbery of Tech Credit Union in East Chicago, Indiana.

Seandell Rounds, 21, of Riverdale, Illinois, a co-defendant in the Elmore case, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 57 months imprisonment, $189.00 in restitution and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of the robberies of Subway in Gary and Auto Zone in Merrillville, Indiana.

These charges were brought as a result of a cooperative law enforcement effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Chicago Police Department, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department and the Merrillville Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Fort Wayne, INCThe United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on April 24, 2013: Trey Jackson, 24, and Deangelo Copeland, 36, both of Fort Wayne, Indiana were charged in 2 counts of a 3 count Indictment with armed bank robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence on or about April 15, 2013, and Nicole Andrews, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was charged in 2 counts of a 3 count Indictment with armed bank robbery and accessory after the fact on or about April 15, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Matthew Lester Vanschoick, 28, and Michael Clayton Bure, 26, both of Fort Wayne, Indiana, were charged in a single count Indictment with bank robbery on or about October 28, 2011. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force and the New Haven Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
##END##

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Kristopher Brooks, 39, of Elkhart, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to the felony offense of failure to register as a sex offender.Sentencing has been set for 7/24/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Marshal’s Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Clinton Vortice, 32, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 7/17/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Kori Ann Donovan, 44, of Plymouth, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offenses of health care fraud and fraud with identification documents.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 7/15/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Kenneth McCreary, Jr., 26, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of theft of stolen mail matter.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.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:

Chhit Taing, 45, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 37 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of marijuana. According to documents filed by the government in this case, Taing was involved with nine sales of marijuana and was arrested while selling marijuana and trying to buy cocaine.Mr. Taing was found in possession of a large amount of cash at the time of his arrest.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.

Tommy Webster, 33, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 168 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after being found guilty at trial of the felony offenses of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, manufacture of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed by the government in this case, an investigation by law enforcement found cocaine (powder and cocaine base) individually wrapped for distribution; a substance used for cutting cocaine; loose marijuana; six dozen growing marijuana plants; and drug paraphernalia, such as scales and baggies. Webster also had electronic security consisting of police scanners and a video system with monitors and carefully placed cameras; a loaded shotgun, a sawed-off shotgun, and a bullet proof vest. Webster has a prior felony conviction for armed drug dealing and several misdemeanor convictions.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.

Lynn Little, 42, of West Lafayette, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Patlan et al., was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to time served and 4 years of supervised release, to include 8 months of home detention and 200 hours of community service, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of marijuana.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Little admitted that she was involved with supplying Jose Patlan with marijuana that she believed he was distributing in the Logansport, Indiana, area.When law enforcement searched her home in West Lafayette, Indiana, officers found $12,000 in United States Currency from drug transactions. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Indiana State Police, the Cass County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Hayle Doty, 24, of Milford, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 30 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Doty participated in a sophisticated drug conspiracy involving marijuana in a range of 100-400 kilograms that had several players, spanned several years and generated large cash profits.During the search of the residence firearms, cash and drugs were located.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Laporte County Prosecutor’s Offices, the Laporte County Drug Unit and the ICE Unit for Elkhart County also participated.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

INDICTMENT:

Demetrius Moore, 42, of Merrillville, Indiana, was charged in an Indictment returned on 2/7/13 with theft of government property (designated unemployment benefits).These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

PLEAS:

Luis Yanez, 41, of Lorain, Ohio, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.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 Drug Enforcement Administration.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Amin Guillermo Velazquez, 32, of Rensselaer, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine.Sentencing has been set for 6/27/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Illinois State Police.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Tracey Tigner, 42, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of embezzlement and theft from a Labor Union.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by United States Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Labor Management Standards.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Marilyn Krusas, 69, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of tax evasion.Sentencing has been set for 7/11/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

Octavio Alejandre-Mata, 44, of Hobart, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of distribution of 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 Jacqueline Jacobs.

Phyllis Lark, 46, of Hammond, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Nwaka et al., pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of submitting fraudulent claims to Indiana Medicaid.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Maxie Rallings, Jr., 42, Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 60 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Rallings delivered over 28 grams of crack cocaine to an individual who was working for law enforcement.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Lynn Little, 42, of West Lafayette, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Patlan et al., was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to time served and 4 years of supervised release, to include 8 months of home detention and 200 hours of community service, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of marijuana.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Little admitted that she was involved with supplying Jose Patlan with marijuana that she believed he was distributing in the Logansport, Indiana, area.When law enforcement searched her home in West Lafayette, Indiana, officers found $12,000 in United States Currency from drug transactions. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Indiana State Police, the Cass county Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Scot Silvers, 48, of Angola, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offenses of use of counterfeit access devices, fraud with identification documents and making counterfeit obligations.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service and the Angola Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Alex White, 47, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of the armed robbery of Wells Fargo Bank.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Northeast Indiana Bank Robbery Task Force.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.

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

Chhit Taing, 45, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 37 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of marijuana. According to documents filed by the government in this case, Taing was involved with nine sales of marijuana and was arrested while selling marijuana and trying to buy cocaine.Mr. Taing was found in possession of a large amount of cash at the time of his arrest.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

South Bend, Indiana —United States Attorney David Capp announced:

Brett Keiling, 49, of Granger, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 27 months imprisonment (time served) and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of threatening to assault an employee of the United States with intent to impede the performance of official duties.On January 24, 2011, Keiling made a telephone threat to an employee of then Congressman Joseph Donnelly’s office.Keiling has been in federal custody since that date.

Keiling is subject to numerous conditions while on supervised release including having no contact with any public official’s office without first obtaining the permission of the United States Probation Office.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Brison K. Williams, 20, of South Bend, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Shaw et al., pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of racketeering.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation.Sentencing has been set for 7/15/13.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Bend Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Cedric Hill, 33, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation.Sentencing has been set for 7/18/13.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 Frank Schaffer.

Sandra Alfaro, 35, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offenses of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation.Sentencing has been set for 7/18/13. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Hays.

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:

Lorenzo Jackson, 33, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 117 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Jackson admitted that he sold and distributed marijuana to other persons in 2012 and possessed a shotgun during this period in order to protect himself from robbery while distributing the marijuana.Jackson has prior felony convictions including dealing in cocaine and possession of marijuana.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.

Efrain Castenada, 31, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 151 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and unlawful hostage taking/detention.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Castenada used a firearm to threaten to kill his wife, and taking her and two children hostage. 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.

Jose Nevarez, 37, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to two years of supervised release and a $2000.00 fine after pleading guilty to the felony offense of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Nevarez structured several deposits into his bank account under $10,000 t in June and July of 2010 to avoid the reporting requirements banks have to make to the federal government when cash deposits are made that exceed $10,000. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Ronald Parks, 60, no known address/homeless, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offenses of kidnapping and, in a separate matter, the bank robbery of Citizens Bank in Hammond, Indiana.Sentencing in both cases has been set for 7/11/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hammond Police Department.These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Imaru Jones, 29, of Griffith, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of distribution of marijuana.Magistrate Cherry is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Jazneen Williams, 22, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offense of making false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm.This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Chicago Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

William Weigand, 43, of Portage, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen 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 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Robert Lockhart, 20, of East Chicago, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Briseno et al., was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 240 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. Lockhart, a member of the Imperial Gangsters street gang, admitted that during the course of the conspiracy he was responsible for the murder of Miguel Colon. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department and the Lake County HIDTA.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick.

Aaron Grant, 33, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 30 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.Grant has a prior conviction for possession of cocaine in 2005.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 Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Jeremiah Stevenson, 23, of Gary, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Elmore et al., was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 78 months imprisonment, $17,954.35 in restitution and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of the robbery of Auto Zone and the robbery of Gamestop in Hammond, Indiana; and the armed robbery of Tech Credit Union in East Chicago, Indiana.

Lavelle Hatley, 18, of Gary, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Elmore et al., was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 108 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of the robbery of Rallys, Family Dollar, and Church’s Chicken restaurants in Gary, Indiana; the robbery of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Merrillville and Hammond, Indiana; the robbery of Domino’s Pizza in Merrillville, Indiana; and the robbery of Auto Zone in Merrillville and Hammond, Indiana.

These cases were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Chicago Police Department, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department and the Merrillville Police Department.These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

DISPOSITION:

Patrick O’Quinn, 30, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 60 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Kevin Howell, 46, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 7/17/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.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:

Brian Newman, 46, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 360 months imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Newman admitted that in April 2012 he contacted a 16 year old female on Facebook who resided in New York.He told her in a Facebook chat that a male she knew as Mark had hacked into her iPad and had video of her dressing in her room.He told her she could get the videos back if she would Skype with him.He asked her to engage in sexually explicit conduct and then e-mail the photos to him.Pursuant to a federal search warrant, law enforcement discovered numerous photos that the girl had sent to Newman’s e-mail account.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan City Police Department, the Mound, Minnesota Police Department, the Cary, North Carolina Police Department and the New York State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

DISPOSITION:

Leon Thomas, 38, of Chesterton, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 24 months imprisonment, $25,216.00 in restitution and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of aggravated identity theft.According to documents filed by the government in this case, f rom June 2009 through July 2010, while employed at a manufacturing company in Michigan City, Indiana, Thomas applied for unemployment insurance benefits and extended unemployment benefits using the identity of his brother by using his social security number and date of birth. While working for the company he unlawfully received unemployment insurance benefit payments that consisted of federal and state money. When asked on the weekly claim voucher whether he was working, Thomas answered no, when in truth he was working and receiving a paycheck.Thomas unlawfully received a total of $11,590 in Federal funds as well as $13,626 in State funds for the unemployment benefits. This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Labor.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Ku-La Lwin, 18, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of receipt and possession of a non-registered firearm.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Leonard Riley, 21, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.

James Rogers, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.

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

Fort Wayne, INCThe United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on March 27, 2013: Arturo Deluna, 46, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a three count Indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and use of communication facility in the conspiracy to possess and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, all occurring on or about May 4, 2010. These charges were filed as the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Allen County Police Department Vice and Narcotics Division and the FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
##END##

Fort Wayne, INCThe United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on March 27, 2013: Ayad Al-Shaibani, 41, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a ten count Indictment with acquiring or possessing supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits in a manner not authorized by regulations on or about December 3, 2008, February 10, 2009, January 25, 2013, January 31, 2013, and February 6, 2013 and redemption of illegally received supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits between on or about April 1, 2008, and continuing through on or about December 31, 2008, between on or about January 1, 2009, and continuing through on or about December 31, 2009, between on or about January 1, 2010, and continuing through on or about December 31, 2010, between on or about January 1, 2011, and continuing through on or about December 31, 2011 and between on or about January 1, 2012, and continuing through on or about December 31, 2012. The Indictment also seeks forfeiture of the proceeds of the offense. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
##END##

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

Hammond, Indiana—The United States Attorney’s Office announced that the following Indictments were returned on April 3, 2013:

Eugene Jackson, Jr., 32, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Terrance Winton, 48, of Merrillville, Indiana, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Sammy Earl Jones, 29, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.This charge was filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

Simmuel Lamont Mobley, 45, of Gary, Indiana, was charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.This charge was 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 Thomas McGrath.

Joseph Jamel Smith, 20, 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.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.

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]

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

PLEAS:

Andres Garcia, 56, of Hoopeston, Illinois, a defendant in the case US v Patlan et al., pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 6/20/13.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 Frank Schaffer.

Harry Kiste, 55, of Elkhart, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of failure to register as a sex offender.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 6/27/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Marshal’s Service.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Demerius Shaw, 20, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to the felony offense of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.Sentencing has been set for 7/17/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Bend Police Department.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:

Jesus DeLeon, Sr., 50, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 4 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release, including 6 months of home detention, after pleading guilty to the felony offense of furnishing false written statements in the acquisition of a firearm.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Deleon Sr. straw purchased an IAC Regent .45 caliber pistol for Oscar Ruelas. In particular, Deleon Sr. bought this firearm from Midwest Gun Exchange in Mishawaka, Indiana while falsely stating on the “Firearms Transaction Record” for over-the counter-firearms transactions (ATF Form 4473) that the firearm was for Deleon Sr. when in fact the firearm was really being purchased for and at the behest of Oscar Ruelas, a trafficker in controlled substances.Police recovered the firearm at the home of Ruelas in July 2012 when a search warrant was executed there. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Bend Police Department and the MSOS.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Brian Levesque, 27, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 46 months imprisonment 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 by the government in this case, investigators executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and recovered a High-Point brand .45 caliber loaded pistol, baggies of crack cocaine, marijuana and a digital scale. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

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

[email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Walter Ridley, 32, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department.This case 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:

Jarrod Vroom, 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a defendant in the case US Bridges et al., was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 60 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allen County Sheriff‘s Department and the Indiana State Police.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.

Otaimond McFarthing, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 8 months imprisonment (time served) and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of marijuana.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.

Jason Davis, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 27 months imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.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 Lesley Miller Lowery.

Fort Wayne, INCThe United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on March 27, 2013: Glenda Brickey, 27, of Ligonier, Indiana, is charged in a two count Indictment with possession of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, both occurring on or about December 21, 2012. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IMAGE Drug Task Force, comprised of Noble County Sheriff’s Department, Kendallville Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Auburn Police Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department; Noble County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Indiana State Police, ISP ACE Team, and ISP Emergency Response Team; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Northeast Indiana SWAT; Ligonier Police Department; Fort Wayne Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, Indiana State Excise Police and FWPD Emergency Services Team. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Juan J. Sandoval, 45, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in a four count Indictment with distribution of methamphetamine on or about February 27, 2013, and March 12, 2013; domestic violent felon in possession of a firearm on or about March 21, 2013, and possession of a firearm not registered to him on or about March 21, 2013. This Indictment also seeks forfeiture of firearms and ammunition. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IMAGE Drug Task Force, comprised of Noble County Sheriff’s Department, Kendallville Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Auburn Police Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department; Noble County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Indiana State Police, ISP ACE Team, and ISP Emergency Response Team; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Northeast Indiana SWAT; Ligonier Police Department; Fort Wayne Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, Indiana State Excise Police and FWPD Emergency Services Team. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Javier Madrigal, 48, and Lizbeth Correa, 34, of Wawaka, Indiana. Madrigal is charged in
5 of 6 counts in the Indictment with distribution of methamphetamine on or about January 31, 2013, February 7, 2013, February 15, 2013, March 14, 2013 and March 21, 2013. Correa is charged in 2 of 6 counts in the Indictment with distribution of methamphetamine on or about March 21, 2013, and profiting from maintaining a drug involved premises from on or about January 31, 2013 to on or about March 21, 2013. This Indictment also seeks forfeiture. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IMAGE Drug Task Force, comprised of Noble County Sheriff’s Department, Kendallville Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Auburn Police Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department; Noble County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Indiana State Police, ISP ACE Team, and ISP Emergency Response Team; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Northeast Indiana SWAT; Ligonier Police Department; Fort Wayne Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, Indiana State Excise Police and FWPD Emergency Services Team. 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.
##END##

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ [email protected]

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

PLEAS:

Jaleen McGee, 20, of South Bend, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Shaw et al., pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of racketeering.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 6/18/13.

Alvin Blade, III, 21, of South Bend, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Shaw et al., pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of carrying a firearm and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime/crime of violence.Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 6/13/13.

The charges against McGee and Blade were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Bend Police Department.The case in which both are charged 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:

David Dircks, 53, of, South Bend, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Wells et al., was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 114 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 by the government in this case, Dircks has multiple prior felony convictions including possession of controlled substances (1992, 2004, 2007), forgery (1992), and residential burglary (1996). He has many other convictions as well, including forgery (misdemeanor), criminal trespass, possession of a fraudulent ID card, theft, deceptive practice, false informing, Illinois vehicle code offenses, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, panhandling, hit and run, resisting a police officer, domestic battery, and battery. He committed his federal offenses while he was on probation in LaPorte County, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ [email protected]

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

INDICTMENT:

Rebhi Mohammad, 59, Ola Mohammad, 32, and Abdkdar Mohammad, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, were charged in a Superceding Indictment with conspiracy to defraud the USDA “SNAP” program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) and wire fraud by claiming that they and the business known as Moses Foods were legitimately entitled to reimbursements when in fact they were trading cash and ineligible items for SNAP benefit redemptions.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

PLEAS:

Dwayne Crawford, 40, of Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000 .Magistrate Rodovich is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for 5/17/13.These charges were 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 Jacqueline Jacobs.

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:

Miguel Chavez, 46, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 41 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ [email protected]

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

COMPLAINTS:

Glenda R. Brickey, 27, of Ligonier, Indiana, was charged in a Complaint with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ligonier Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Juan Sandoval, 45, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was charged in a Complaint with distribution of methamphetamine.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the IMAGE Drug Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

Javier Madrigal, 48, and Lizbeth Correa, 34, of Wawaka, Indiana, were charged in a Complaint with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ligonier Police Department and the IMAGE Drug Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

DISPOSITIONS:

Michael Watkins, 55, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 121 months imprisonment and 60 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of distribution child pornography and possession of child pornography.According to documents filed by the government in this case, a d etective with the Noblesville, Indiana Police Department, located the IP address of a user who possessed, and was advertising for share, image and video files that had been previously identified as child pornography in other investigations by law enforcement.A response to a summons on the internet service provider revealed that the IP address belonged to Watkins.Pursuant to a federal search warrant, law enforcement recovered a computer, external hard drive and compact discs which contained images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Noblesville Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ [email protected]

Hammond, Indiana—The United States Attorney’s Office announced that the following Indictments were returned on March 21, 2013:

Miguel Angel Herrera, 32, address unknown, was charged in an Indictment with distribution of cocaine.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 Special Assistant United States Attorney Armando Salinas, Jr.

Tareq Al-Hindi, 31, of Orland Park, Illinois, Azzam Al-Hindi, 55, of Blue, Island, Illinois and Hosam Abul-Husn, 67, of Whiting, Indiana were charged in an Indictment with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Tambra Ducker, 24, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was charged in an Indictment with possession with the intent to distribute heroin.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 Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

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/ FAX (219) 852-2770

Hammond, Indiana - United States Attorney David Capp announced that Jack Allen Schaap, 55, of Crete, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 144 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to documents filed by the government in this case, Schaap, as the Pastor of Hammond Baptist Church, Superintendent of its schools and a trusted advisor to the victim and her family, involved himself with counseling the victim, a then-16 year old church member who had been identified by an administrator at the school as vulnerable.Once their sessions began, Schaap met with her for longer durations and with increasing frequency over time, beginning with a few hours per week in April and May 2012, to semi-weekly in June and then daily or several times a day in July.Schaap encourage the victim to view him as not just her Pastor but also as her friend and finally, love interest.Schaap’s phone records revealed that in one month’s time he and the victim spoke on the phone or texted one another approximately 662 times.He also arranged to have the victim transported to Illinois and to Michigan so they could spend extended periods of time alone together.The government recovered photos taken at his property in Illinois and inside a cabin in Michigan which depicted Schaap and the victim in intimate poses.

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 and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jill Koster and Susan Collins.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ Fax: (219) 852-2770

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 13, 2013:

Christina Glen, 43, of LaPorte, Indiana, was charged in a five-count Indictment with one count theft of government property and four counts of wire fraud.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the United States Department of Labor.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Z. Brook.

Francisco Perez, 32, of Gary, Indiana, and Gilberto Galindo-Lopez, age 32, of Los Angeles, California, were charged in a one-count Indictment with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.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.

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 L. Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ Fax: (219) 852-2770

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

PLEAS:

Marquis Broadway, 19, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Jon DeGuilio to the felony offenses of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Sentencing has been set for 6/27/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Bend Police Department.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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770

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

PLEAS:

Willie Flowers, 31, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.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. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East Chicago Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Kenneth Myers, 21, of Monticello, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Sentencing has been set for 6/6/13.These charges were 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.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Michael Scott, 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 60 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department Gang Unit.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.

Jeremiah Thompson, 29, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 30 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of maintaining a place for the purpose of distributing heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.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.

Charles Martin, 30, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 36 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Martin has a prior conviction for carrying a handgun without a license, receiving stolen auto parts and identity deception.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 Tina Nommay.

Rachel McMillan, 40, of Hamilton, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Rivera et al., was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to 51 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.According to

documents filed by the government in this case, Rivera was stopped for a traffic violation. The officer making the stop retrieved his drug dog which alerted to the presence of narcotic odor.The truck was subsequently impounded.A state search warrant was obtained to search the truck.Officers located drugs hidden in the truck’s front axle.McMillan then contacted law enforcement to retrieve the impounded truck by presenting what appeared to be a fraudulent power of attorney signed by Rivera.Officers found that McMillan had an expired driver’s license and, after observing her driving the truck, arrested her for the driving offense.McMillan admitted during an interview after her arrest to involvement with Rivera’s transporting a drug shipment to northern Indiana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Indiana State Police, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the IMAGE Drug Task Force and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770

Hammond, Indiana – announced U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Dante Reyes, 35, a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offense of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.

Previously charged and entered a plea of guilty in the case are:

Alexander Vargas, 35, of Highland, Indiana

Sisto Bernal, 46, of Chicago, Illinois

Jose Zambrano, 33, of Chicago, Illinois

Jason Ortiz, 30, of Chicago, Illinois

Brandon Clay, 26, of Chicago, Illinois

Jermaine Ellis, 23, of Chicago, Illinois

Martin Anaya, 42, of Chicago, Illinois

Ivan Quiroz, 30, of Posen, Illinois

Hiluterio Chavez, 37, of Chicago, Illinois

Sergio Robles, 24, of Hammond, Indiana

Emiliano Esparza, 40 of Chicago, Illinois

Santiago Gudino, 28, of Hammond, Indiana

Gabriel Jalomos, 26, of Chicago, Illinois

Oscar Gonzalez, 23, of Hammond, Indiana

David Lira, 39, of Lansing, Illinois

Victor Meza, 24, of Hammond, Indiana

Antonio Gudino, 31, of East Chicago, Indiana

Bianca Fernandez, 23, of Chicago, Illinois

Alex Guerrero, 43, of Chicago, Illinois

Antonio C. Martinez, Jr., 42, of Chicago, Illinois

Also charged, and still at large, is Paulino Salazar, 30, of Chicago, Illinois.

Six of the defendants have been sentenced:

Brandon Clay was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment,David Lira was sentenced to 180 months imprisonmentand Antonio Gudino was sentenced to 175 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.

Victor Meza, Jr. was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute cocaine and marijuana.

Bianca Fernandez was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment for conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering activity.

Alex Guerrero was sentenced to 228 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute cocaine and marijuana. Interference with commerce by threats or violence and use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence and drug trafficking.

According to this indictment, the Latin Kings is nationwide gang that originated in Chicago and has branched out throughout the United States, including to Texas. The Latin Kings is a well organized street gang that has specific leadership and is comprised of regions that include multiple chapters.The indictments filed in these cases allege that the Latin Kings gang was responsible for at least 19 murders in the Chicago/Northwest Indiana area and Big Spring, Texas.

United States Attorney David Capp stated, “The Latin King indictments and the subsequent arrests and guilty pleas by all has had a major, positive impact on the level of violence in our communities. My thanks to all for the tireless efforts by our local and federal law enforcement and our attorneys.We are not finished – we will continue to investigate and prosecute members of organized criminal gangs or those who deal with such individuals.”

This case is being investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Immigration and Custom Office of Homeland Security Investigations; the National Gang Targeting, Enforcement & Coordination Center; the National Gang Intelligence Center; the Chicago Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Griffith Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the Highland Police Department; and the Houston Police Department.The investigation of the Chicago Police Department officers was conducted by Chicago City Public Corruption Task Force, a Chicago Police Department- Internal Affairs and FBI - Chicago law enforcement initiative.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick, and Joseph A. Cooley, Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice - Organized Crime and Gang Section.

The specific sentence in each case to be imposed upon conviction will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ Fax: (219) 852-2770

South Bend, Indiana -- United States Attorney David Capp announced:

Yulia Yurevna Abair, 43, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty at trial on all eight counts of an Indictment charging her with structuring transactions to evade reporting requirement.According to documents filed by the government in this case, structuring includes breaking down a single sum of currency over $10,000 into smaller sums, or conducting a series of cash transactions all at or below $10,000, with the purpose of evading currency transaction reporting requirements. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ Fax: (219) 852-2770

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

PLEAS:

Ruben Trevino, 35, of Weslaco, Texas, a defendant in the case US v Doty et al., pled guilty before District Judge Jon DeGuilio to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.Sentencing has been set for 6/13/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Laporte County Prosecutor’s office, the Laporte County Drug Unit, the Elkhart County ICE unit.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

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:

Javon Thomas, 20, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 120 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of carrying a firearm which discharged during a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence.According to documents filed by the government in this case, Thomas was one of four armed men who broke into the home of a known drug dealer and the drug dealer’s girlfriend and four children. One of the men (not Mr. Thomas) shot the drug dealer. The four men stole drugs and money, split the money, and distributed the marijuana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Bend Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770

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

PLEAS:

Wesley King, 42, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Sentencing has been set for 5/22/13.These charges were 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 Joshua Kolar.

Maria Guadalupe Sustaita, 50, of East Chicago, Indiana, pled guilty before District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of aggravated identity theft and obstruction of correspondence.Sentencing has been set for 4/16/13.These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

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

DISPOSITIONS:

Richard Jenkins, 39, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 33 months imprisonment 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 by the government in this case, law enforcement conducted multiple trash pulls at Jenkins’ residence after receiving a tip regarding drug dealing occurring at the residence. The pulls uncovered evidence indicative of drug packaging material, drug trafficking activity and drug sales taking place.A search warrant was executed on the residence where law enforcement recovered a knotted plastic bag containing 20 clear plastic bags, each containing crack cocaine, digital scales, a compact disc case containing two razor blades and a scale with white powder residue confirmed to be cocaine and marijuana.Jenkins admitted that he had been selling crack cocaine for months. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Gregorio Valencia, 29, of Griffith, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 121 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute five hundred grams of more of methamphetamine.According to documents filed by the government in this case, a confidential source made arrangement to meet with Valencia to receive a free sample of methamphetamine and to negotiate a future purchase of 5 kilograms of methamphetamine.After the agreement was made, Valencia met with the source to deliver the drugs.Agents moved in and arrested Valencia.The Agents recovered a black duffel bag from Valencia’s vehicle containing 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and another 1 kilogram from his residence during a subsequent search.This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Dante Christopher Vasquez, 44, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 210 months imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of production of child pornography.According to documents filed by the government in this case, the Hammond Police started an investigation after receiving a complaint of an adult family member taking nude pictures of a juvenile.The responding officer interviewed the mother and her child about the complaint and learned that Vasquez was related to her and had frequently cared for her children and had used the mother’s camera to take nude pictures of the child.Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Vasquez residence, locating multiple computers revealing images indicative of child pornography that included the child involved in the initial complaint.This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Hammond Police Department.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770

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

PLEA:

Antonio Sewell, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Buchanan et al., pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation/G-NET, the Indiana State Police, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Police Department, the Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Geller and 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770

Hammond, Indiana- The United States Attorney’s Office announced that the following Indictments were returned on March 6, 2013:

Christopher M. Bour, 39, and Natisha Hillard, 24, both of Gary, Indiana, were charged in a five count Indictment alleging buying/selling, production of and possession of child pornography.Bour is charged with one count of purchase of a child for production of child pornography, one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography featuring a minor under the age of 12.Hillard is charged with one count of sale of a child by a parent for production of child pornography and one count of permitting a child by a parent to participate in the production of child pornography. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Gary Police Department and the Michigan City Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Stacy Davis, 44, of Gary, Indiana, was charged in a superseding Indictment adding two additional bank robbery counts to the original indictment; the bank robbery of TCF Bank in Munster, Indiana on October 2, 2012 and the robbery of Chase Bank in Merrillville, Indiana on October 3, 2009.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

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.

Fort Wayne, INCThe United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictment on February 27, 2013: Curtis Wittwer, 65, of Spencerville, Indiana, is charged in a four count Indictment with two counts of maintaining a drug-involved premises from on or about September 12, 2012, to on or about September 25, 2012, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm on or about September
25, 2012. The Indictment also seeks forfeiture of U.S. currency, firearms and ammunition. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Indiana State Police, IMAGE Drug Task Force, Allen County Police Department and the DeKalb County Prosecutor’s Office. 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.
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