Activity in Federal Court – Hammond

HAMMOND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced:

Thomas Scott Spangle, 30, of the 2200 block of East 900 North, Lake Village, Indiana, was charged in an indictment unsealed on December 9, 2010, with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lafayette Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Trumbull Harris.

Jay T. Sampson, 40, of the 3100 block of E. 400 North, Rensselaer, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior Judge James Moody to 12 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to count two of an indictment charging him with use of a communication facility to possess with the intent 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 Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Javier Cruz, 39, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 41 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with drug trafficking (cocaine). This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Wynell Gray, 39, of Park Forest, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior Judge James Moody to 33 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to counts one and two of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to defraud the United States, and health care fraud in the case U.S. v Suddoth et al. From about March, 2002 to January, 2006, in the Northern District of Indiana, the defendant billed Indiana Medicaid for ambulance services allegedly provided to Indiana Medicaid recipients using either the Dovies Medicare Transportation service, or Lane Medical Transportation, owned by Randy Suddoth, when in fact Dovies and Lane did not provide ambulance services. This case was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz and Susan Collins.

Ulysses Frank Scott, 49, of the 7400 block of Hendricks Street, Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to count one of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Scott was previously convicted of trafficking of cocaine, in May, 2000, in the Superior Court of Douglas County, Georgia; of carrying a concealed weapon, in May, 2000, in the Superior Court of Douglas County, Georgia; of possession of a firearm during a commission of a crime, in May, 2000, in the Superior Court of Douglas County, Georgia; of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, in March, 2005, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois; and of possession of a controlled substance, in December, 1992, in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California. Sentencing has been set for 2/17/2011. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the Lake County Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Sherice Murff, 33, of the 40 block of Wildwood Rd., Hammond, Indiana,; Vincent Green, 29, of Chicago, Illinois; and Alvin Hannon, 40, of Harvey, Illinois, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to count one of an indictment charging them with conspiracy to steal money from a program receiving federal funds. Murff, in her capacity as Prevention Program Director at Geminus Corporation in Merrillville, Indiana, a federally funded not for profit organization that manages and supports mental health care providers and human services organizations, issued unauthorized checks to Hannon and Green. Upon receipt of the checks, Hannon and Green would kick back half the money to Murff. Over $200,000 in federal funds was given by Murff to Hannon and Green. Sentencing has been set for 3/15/2011. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

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

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.