Week in Review—Hammond

HAMMOND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in federal court:

Pleas:

• Natisha Hillard, 25, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to the felony offenses of sale of a child by a parent for production of child pornography and sexual exploitation and permitting a child by a parent to participate in the production 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, the Indiana State Police, the Gary Police Department, and the Michigan City Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.
• Keyosha Toney, 26, of East Chicago, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin to the felony offense of making false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm. Magistrate Martin is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.
• Octavio Casas-Garcia, 45, of Hammond, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge John Martin to the felony offense of illegal reentry after having been convicted of a felony. 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 Philip Benson.

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:

Ronald Parks, 61, address unknown/homeless, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Rudy Lozano to 262 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to kidnapping. According to documents filed in this case, in March 2012 the victim stopped for change for a $20 bill at a Marathon gas station located in Hammond, Indiana. She was getting back into her car when Parks forced her into her car through the driver’s door. Parks eventually stopped the car, took her cell phone, and fled on foot. In a separate matter, Parks was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, to run concurrently with the kidnapping sentence, after pleading guilty to bank robbery. According to documents filed in this case, in April 2012, Parks robbed the Citizen’s Bank in Hammond, Indiana, using a note that indicated he had a gun. The teller indicated that Parks had flashed a black gun that was in his waistband. This teller later identified Parks in a photo lineup. These cases were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hammond Police Department. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.