Week in Review—South Bend

SOUTH BEND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in federal court:

Indictments

• Andre Bradford, 35, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with three counts of distribution of heroin. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Bend Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.
• David Lee Robinson, 33, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in an indictment with three counts of distribution of heroin. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Bend Police Department. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Pleas

• Christopher Akens, 35, of Mishawaka, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of possession of child pornography. Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for May 23, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.
• Deneen Lewis, 41, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein to the felony offense of theft of government funds (Social Security benefits). Magistrate Nuechterlein is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. Sentencing has been set for May 23, 2013. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook.

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.

Dispositions

• Jeffrey Farmer, 42, of Knox, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 84 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of accessing with intent to view child pornography. According to documents filed in this case, Starke County detectives obtained a state search warrant to search Farmer’s residence and seize computers and digital storage devices. Farmer admitted he used the computer to view digital images from the Internet that depicted prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained the age of 12 years engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This case resulted from an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including ICE-Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.
• Timothy Lewis, 41, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 51 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to documents filed in this case, Lewis was selling small quantities of heroin to people, including a confidential informant, in late 2011 and 2012. Police searched his home in June and found heroin and a loaded firearm. After Lewis was released on bond, he again sold heroin to the confidential informant. Police searched his home again in August finding heroin and another loaded firearm. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Metro Special Operations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.
• Darnell Jackson, 31, of Elkhart, Indiana, a defendant in the case U.S. v Carlia Wells et al, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 60 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.
• Jermaine Davis, 31, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 24 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to documents filed in this case, South Bend Police initiated a traffic stop for a traffic violation. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver Jermaine Davis and his two passengers fled the scene in the car. During the vehicle pursuit, a firearm and a bag of marijuana were tossed from the vehicle. South Bend Police recovered the marijuana and a Springfield XD40 pistol. Police also recovered more than $1,500 cash and a small amount of marijuana on the person of Jermaine Davis. Davis has a prior felony conviction for possession of cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.
• John Hodowaniac, 60, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Jon DeGuilio to 60 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of attempted arson of a vehicle. According to documents filed in this case, Hodowaniac admitted that, along with his son Michael Hodowaniac and another person, he attempted to set fire to an automobile in exchange for a cash payment from this other person. He took substantial steps toward the execution of the plan to set fire to and maliciously destroy the automobile by directing that gasoline be put in a plastic bottle, traveling to the area where the automobile was located, and accepting cash for the arson. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.