Week in Review—Fort Wayne

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

Pleas (before United States Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey):

• Trevor Rodriguez, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offenses of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted felon and aiding and abetting. 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 set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris-King.
• Devonte Travier, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of aiding and abetting the use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 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 and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina Nommay.
• Travon Russell, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of being a convicted 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 and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.
• Deyante Stephens, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of aiding and abetting armed 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, the Northeast Indiana Federal Bank Robbery Task Force, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
• Darwin Altamirano, 30, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of being a misprision of a felony. 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’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the New Haven Police Department; Steuben County Sheriff’s Department; Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department; and the IMAGE Drug Task Force. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.

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 (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann):

• Whitney Sparkman, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana, was sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. According to documents filed in this case, in July 2010, Sparkman was involved in the transport of marijuana from Arizona to the Northern District of Indiana for distribution. 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.
• Javier Madrigal, 36, of Wawaka, Indiana, was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and to pay $22,729.38 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of methamphetamine. According to documents filed in this case, in 2013, Madrigal, a major drug trafficker, was involved in the distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency; the IMAGE Drug Task force; Indiana State Police; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Ligonier Police Department; the Fort Wayne Police Department; and the FWPD Emergency Services Team. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
• Jasper Williams, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and 60 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively, three years’ supervised release, and to pay $280 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and with knowingly carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to documents filed in this case, in April 2012, Williams sold crack and carried a Hi-Point, .40 caliber firearm while distributing the narcotic. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
• Beth Boger, 47, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and to pay $364,395 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of wire fraud and income tax evasion. According to documents filed in this case, in March 2006, Boger filed a false tax return greatly reducing her taxable income and tax due to the United States government. This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.
• Trent Moore, 44, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment with eight years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of cocaine and crack. According to documents filed in this case, between February and June 2010, Moore sold more than 50 grams of crack. In April 2010, Moore also sold cocaine. 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.
• Jonathan Aramburo, 26, of Warsaw, Indiana, was sentenced to 157 months’ imprisonment with four years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. According to documents filed in this case, from January 2010 until February 2011, Aramburo and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana in the Northern District of Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force; and the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
• Antonio Flores, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with five years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. According to documents filed in this case, from January 2011 until March 2011, Flores along with several others trafficked narcotics in the Fort Wayne area. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force; Indiana State Police; Fort Wayne Police Department; Allen County Police Department; Allen County Drug Task Force; and New Haven Police Department, with assistance from GRIT and the Indianapolis Metro PD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.