Week in Review – Hammond

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

Brandy Rene Young, 37, of Griffith, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior Judge James T. Moody to count one of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Highland Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Rose Brown, 60, of Sauk Village, Illinois, pled guilty before Senior Judge James T. Moody to count one of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Highland Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Isaiah Chase, 20, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to count six of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine in the case U.S. v Stokes et al. Sentencing has been set for 11/29/11. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Andre McQuay, Jr., 23, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 57 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

Christopher Lewis, 36, of Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before Judge Rudy Lozano to count one of a superseding indictment charging him with attempt and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in the case U.S. v Chandler et al. Sentencing has been set for 12/8/11. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Gabriel Guerrero Corona, 38, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 70 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count two of an indictment charging him with distribution of methamphetamine in the case U.S. v Rodriguez et al. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline Jacobs.

Eric Duhack, 24, of Cedar Lake, 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. According to the government, on March 23, 2011, the ATF executed a search warrant on Duhack’s Cedar Lake residence and recovered a 5.56 millimeter, semi-automatic rifle, two nine millimeter pistols, four shotguns, an extended 30-round magazine, and over 500 rounds of various calibers of ammunition. Duhack has four prior felony convictions, including two robbery convictions, one attempted robbery conviction, and one prior federal felony conviction for aiding and abetting the making of materially false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm. Sentencing has been set for 12/1/11. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Cedar Lake Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Keshaun Collins, 28, of Gary, Indiana, was detained pending trial following being charged in a criminal complaint with the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the government, Collins was in an alley shortly after midnight on September 1, 2011, in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol and tossed the pistol when observed by the Gary Police Department. The firearm was recovered and Collins was arrested. Collins has a prior felony conviction for attempted burglary and three prior misdemeanor convictions for domestic battery. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

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