FEDERAL GRAND JURY RETURNS INDICTMENTS

Hammond, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in Hammond, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on August 18, 2006.

RUDOLFO HERNANDEZ, age 41, ARTURO TOLEDO, age 36 and EDWARDO RAMIREZ-MARTINEZ, age 31, all Mexican citizens, were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine. The arrests were the result of an investigation conducted by agents from the DEA/HIDTA Task Force, the DEA Resident Office in Merrillville, Indiana, and DEA agents from McAllen, Texas. The investigation culminated in the seizure of twenty-seven kilos of cocaine in Illinois on August 16, 2006. Hernandez and Toledo were taken into custody on that date. Ramirez-Martinez was arrested while attempting to cross the Mexico/Texas border on August 18, 2006. This matter is assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick who can be reached at 219-937-5500.

TYRONE FUNCHESS, age 35, of East Chicago, Indiana, was charged in a four count indictment with distributing a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, to wit: one (1) Bryco Arms, Model Jennings, nine millimeter, semi-automatic pistol loaded with ten (10) rounds of Remington nine millimeter ammunition. Funchess was observed on four separate occasions selling cocaine base, to wit: crack cocaine. During execution of a search warrant at his residence, the East Chicago Police Department recovered the following items: 1) one digital scale located in the bedroom; 2) one box of plastic sandwich bags located in the kitchen; 3) two clear ziplock bags containing numerous smaller empty plastic zip lock bags (commonly known as jeweler’s bags for distributing rocks of crack cocaine) located in the bedroom; 4) and one nine millimeter, semi-automatic pistol loaded with ten rounds of ammunition. The indictments was the result of an investigation by the ATF/HIDTA Task Force and the East Chicago Police Department. This matter is assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter who can be reached at 219-937-5500.

The specific sentence to be imposed upon conviction in each case will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

###