Federal Grand Jury in South Bend Returns Indictments

SOUTH BEND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following indictments on September 11, 2013:

• Jose Gonzalez, 61, of Milford, Indiana, was charged in a two-count indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a 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.
• Antonio King, 33, of Elkhart, Indiana, was charged in a one-count Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Elkhart Police Department; Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
• Vernado Ruben Malone, 41, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was charged in a three-count indictment with one-count of mail fraud, one-count of wire fraud, and one-count aggravated identity theft. Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Joseph County Police, and Niles Police. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
• Ryan Dean Smith, 27, of Peru, Indiana, was charged in a one-count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Wabash City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
• Quintien Walker, 22, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one-count indictment with providing false statements during the acquisition of a firearm. Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. 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.

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.