May 30, 2014

Week in Review—Hammond

HAMMOND, IN—The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

Pleas (before District Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen):

  • Theodis Lanfair, 42, of Calumet City, Illinois, pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing has been set for 8/12/2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.
  • Dwayne Ashford, 52, of Michigan City, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing has been set for 8/26/2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.

Pleas (before Chief Judge Philip P. Simon):

  • Nathan Huey-Dingle, 32, of South Bend, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of traveling in interstate commerce, transporting an individual across state lines, and trafficking an individual by force, fraud or coercion, with intent to engage in, promote, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of a prostitution enterprise, and thereafter committing a crime of violence that resulted in the death of an individual. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing has been set for 10/17/2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Koster.
  • John Dates, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty to the felony offense of knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount 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 and the Gang Response Task Force. Sentencing has been set for 10/7/2014. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Kolar.

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 Senior Judge James T. Moody):

  • Cahleb Smith-Conrad, 22, of Delphi, Indiana, was sentenced to probation for a term of one year after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possessing a firearm as a felon. According to documents filed in this case, on March 16, 2013, the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle after a 911 caller observed an intoxicated person drive his vehicle into the ditch and the intoxicated person was picked up by a vehicle driven by Smith-Conrad. The deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The deputy sheriff observed a 12 gauge shotgun in the back seat of the vehicle. This case was the result of an investigation by Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.
  • Tiana Williams, 30, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to probation for a term of one year after pleading guilty to the felony offense of making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. According to documents filed in this case, Williams admitted to agents that she purchased a Ruger 9mm pistol for a convicted felon. 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 Nick Padilla.

Dispositions (before District Judge Rudy Lozano):

  • Azzam Al-Hindi, 68, of Whiting, Indiana, was sentenced to seven months of home detention, payment of $2,000 in fines, and payment of $32,667.64 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of mail fraud. According to documents filed in this case, between 2006 and 2010, Al-Hindi and others conspired to use false purchasers and often stole luxury vehicles to fraudulently obtain auto loans from different financial institutions. Those false purchasers intentionally submitted fraudulent consumer credit applications with no ability or intention to repay the loans. This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Treasury-Secret Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Stewart.
  • Eloise Blackmon, 55, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to 21 months, one year supervised release, and to pay $200,000 in fines after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. According to documents filed in this case, on May 9, 2006, Ms. Blackmon purchased a home in Gary, Indiana. The home was sold for significantly more than its actual value and the Department of Housing and Urban Development statement for the sale included a payment to Horizon Development for $37,750.46 for repairs to the property. The evidence collected in the investigation has revealed that no such repairs were ever actually done by Horizon—either before or after the sale. This home was one of 10 involved. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Padilla.