Week in Review—Fort Wayne

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

Dispositions (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann):

• Jose Noe Perea Casteneda, 41, of Goshen, Indiana, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess a controlled substance. Supervised release was not ordered as the defendant may be subject to deportation. According to documents filed in this case, Castenda was a supplier of cocaine to several individuals distributing narcotics in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.
• Deangelo Copeland, 36, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment with two years’ supervised release for armed bank robbery and was also sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment with two years’ supervised release for carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The firearms sentence is to be served consecutively to the armed bank robbery sentence. Copeland was also sentenced to pay $16,405.39 in restitution. According to documents filed in this case, in April 2013, a local credit union was robbed by two assailants. Local law enforcement investigations determined that Copeland assisted in the robbery’s planning and execution. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
• Sergio Alvarez-Arellano, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment with four years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely, 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to documents filed in this case, Alvarez-Arellano was a supplier of cocaine to several individuals distributing narcotics in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.