Federal Grand Jury in Fort Wayne Returns Indictments

FORT WAYNE, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury sitting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on May 22, 2013:

• Rico Parrish, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was charged in a single-count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about May 17, 2013. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
• Christopher Seals, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was charged in a three-count indictment with armed bank robbery, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about February 14, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm, and Explosives; and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
• Armando Herrera-Velasquez, 41, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in one count of a three count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013.
• Manuel Herrera, 43, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in two counts of a three-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013 and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine from on or about November 20, 2012 to on or about February 19, 2013.
• Elida Herrera, 51, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in two counts of a three-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013 and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine from on or about November 20, 2012 to on or about February 19, 2013.
• Maria Patricia Herrera, 52, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in one count of a three-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013.
• Efren Paniagua-Pizano, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in one count of a three-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013.
• Luis Tapia, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in one count of a three-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013, and maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing cocaine from on or about July 28, 2012 to on or about February 19, 2013.
• Juan Perez, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is charged in one count of a three-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from on or about July 2011 to on or about February 2013.

This case was superseded to include defendant Perez in the conspiracy. These charges were filed as a result of this investigation conducted by the FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department. The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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.

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.