Week in Review—South Bend

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

Pleas:

• LaShaun Murry, 33, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration. Sentencing has been set for April 17, 2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.
• Silvino Alonso-Pineda, 37, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of illegally re-entering the United States after being deported and having a prior aggravated felony as well as possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sentencing has been set for April 23, 2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.
• Vernado Malone, 37, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein to the felony offense of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing has been set for April 17, 2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

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

Dispositions:

Taja Anderson, 25, and Kendra Winston, 25, both of South Bend, Indiana, were sentenced today by District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio. Both were sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment, two years’ supervised release, and $13,131 in restitution. Anderson plead guilty to being an accessory after the fact to bank robbery of Fifth Third Bank, and Winton pled guilty to the bank robbery of Fifth Third Bank in South Bend. According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, Winston drove Anderson and another co-defendant to a parking lot near the bank in downtown South Bend. After the robbery of the bank, all three went to a casino to “clean” the money that was stolen from the bank. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.