Indictments Returned in Federal Court

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

Carl Taylor, 29, of Gary, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Lance Payton, 33, of East Chicago, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Enrique Gonzalez, 25, of Hammond, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Terrance Lovel Peterson, 23, of Hammond, Indiana, and Titus Finnell, 30, of Gary, Indiana, were charged in an indictment with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery. Finnell was also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the Hammond Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Lee Irving Gilyard, 26, and Marcus Gilyard, 25, both of Hammond, Indiana, were charged in an indictment with two counts of knowingly selling a firearm, that is a Kel Tec 9mm rifle , loaded with ammunition, to a Confidential Informant, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the Confidential Informant had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Lee Gilyard was also charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Marcus Gilyard was also charged with selling ammunition to a Confidential Informant, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the Confidential Informant had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Mark Alan Smith, 41, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of receipt of child pornography. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Homeland Security Investigations. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

Blake Riley Titus, 22, of Indianapolis and West Lafayette, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with distribution of child pornography. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Highland Police Department, the Kokomo City Police Department , the Brownsburg Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.

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.