May 9, 2014

Week in Review—Fort Wayne

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

Pleas (before Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey):

  • Charley Gonzalez, III, 26, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 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 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 the New Haven Police Department. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
  • Damion Alexander, 20, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic 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 Lesley Miller-Lowery.
  • Narciso Soto, III, 32, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly maintaining drug-involved premises. 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 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 the New Haven Police Department. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
  • Joseph Luna, 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. 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 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 the New Haven Police Department. Sentencing has not been set. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
  • Manuel Herrera, 44, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled a substance. 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, FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is composed of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department. The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation. 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.

Disposition (before District Judge Theresa L. Springmann):

Armando Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 44, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced to one year and one day with time served and three years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. According to documents filed in this case, between July 2011 and February 2013, investigation revealed the existence of a large-scale narcotics distribution conspiracy operating in northeastern Indiana and southern lower Michigan. Gonzales-Gutierrez was a part of that network and obtained quantities of cocaine for distribution to his customers. 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.