Federal Grand Jury in South Bend Returns Indictments
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 10, 2012 |
SOUTH BEND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following indictments on May 9, 2012:
Thomas G. Kouttoulas, 53, and Thomas Gregory Publications Inc. both of LaPorte, Indiana, were both charged in an 11-count indictment with five counts of wire fraud and six counts of mail fraud. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
Javon D. Thomas, 19; Jeffrey Allan Sheppard, 20; and Wilbur B. Crawford, 19, all of South Bend, Indiana, were charged in a two count indictment all with one count carrying a firearm during a federal drug crime/crime of violence; and one count possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the South Bend Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
Sean Howell, 40, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a two-count indictment with two counts of distribution of cocaine base (crack), a Schedule II controlled substance. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
Richard Lee Harrell, 27, of Warsaw, Indiana was charged in a one-count indictment with possession of child pornography. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth M. Hays.
Dane Macon, aka Suraj-Amir-Bey, 47, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of use of a document with fraudulent seal and one count of receipt of a counterfeit insignia. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth M. Hays.
Melvin Douglas Hillman, aka Habib Jimamanu-Bey, age 75, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a three count Indictment with one count of falsely claiming to be a diplomat; one count of use of a document with a fraudulent seal; and one count of receipt of a counterfeit insignia. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth M. Hays.
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.
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.