South Bend Man Sentenced to 636 Months Imprisonment

SOUTH BEND – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, David Capp, announced that Derek Fields, 30, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert Miller, Jr.

Fields was sentenced to 636 months imprisonment following his trial and subsequent guilty verdict on November 16, 2016 of kidnapping, extortion, felon in possession and using a firearm in a crime of violence. Fields was also ordered to pay restitution of $196,512.10 for lost wages of the victim and medical expenses.

According to documents filed in this case, Fields and his codefendants unlawfully confined or kidnapped an individual against his will and demanded a ransom for that individual from his family. A firearm was discharged, hitting the victim, and caused permanent injuries to the victim. Two co-defendants, Lindani Mzembe and Ivan Brazier were also convicted in separate trials of similar offenses, and were sentenced to 524 months and 444 months respectively.

This case was prosecuted as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation; South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John M. Maciejczyk and Joel Gabrielse.

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