Week in Review—Fort Wayne

Pleas (before District Judge Roger B. Cosbey):

• Bryant Davis, 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Sentencing has not been scheduled. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
• Matthew Vanschoick, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of bank robbery. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.

Dispositions (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann):

• Brandon Betz, 33, of Bluffton, Indiana, was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment with two years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant. According to documents filed in this case, Betz along with several others, assaulted a fellow inmate in Wells County jail. The motive for the attack was retaliation against an inmate who was perceived as a “snitch” and a cooperator with law enforcement. Betz, along with several others, threatened the assaulted inmate with further attacks should that perceived cooperation continue. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.