5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 1500 Hammond, IN 46320
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Mary L. Hatton | |
| November 16, 2007 | PHONE: (219) 937-5603 | |
| www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ | Fax: (219) 852-2770 | |
| INDICTMENTS UNSEALED |
Hammond, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that the following indictments were unsealed:
DEBRA FREEMAN, 54, of East Chicago, Indiana, was charged in a 5 count indictment with making false statements and representations of material facts in a matter within the jurisdiction of HUD, an agency of the United States Government. Freeman falsely represented in HUD questionnaires, beginning in approximately 2002 and continuing to 2005, that no member of her household was employed or received income, when in fact, she was employed by the United States Postal Service and earned a gross annual income in excess of $30,000. She received HUD subsidized housing assistance grants in the amount of approximately $20,675, which were fraudulently obtained and to which she was not entitled.
This case is being investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip C. Benson.
DENNIS D. CARDWELL, SR., 27, of Gary, Indiana, was charged in a 1 count indictment with making false statements regarding the sale of firearms from Westforth Sports, Inc., in that the defendant represented himself as the actual purchaser of three firearms, being one Hi-Point 9mm pistol; one Ruger 9mm pistol; and one Taurus .40 caliber pistol, when, in truth, he was purchasing them for another person.
This case is being investigated by the ATF/HIDTA Task Force. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
TAKETA KIDD, age 29, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged in a 5 count indictment with Aggravated Identity Theft and Social Security Fraud. The defendant obtained the names and social security numbers of individuals in order to obtain State of Illinois and/or Indiana identification cards/driver’s licenses; utilized false birth certificates; opened accounts at various financial institutions; deposited fraudulent checks into the accounts; cashed fraudulent checks; and wrote fraudulent checks. The defendant used the false identifications at the Fifth Third Bank in Lafayette, Indiana and Washington Mutual in Chicago, Illinois.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration and the Lafayette City Police Department. This case is assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi D. Houston.
ROBERT JACKSON, 35, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged in a 2 count indictment with Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud. The defendant devised a scheme to defraud U.S. Bank and Horseshoe Casino by obtaining and attempting to obtain money to which he was not legally entitled. Jackson deposited a worthless check in the amount of $3,700 into his account at U.S. Bank and then used the funds to engage in a $2,800 debit card transaction at Horseshoe Casino.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspectors and the Indiana State Police. This case is assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter.
LARRY B. PETERSON, 54, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged in a 1 count indictment with being a Felon in Possession of a firearm, to wit: a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, containing 3 spent shell casings and on round of ammunition, after having been convicted of Burglary in 1980 in Lake County, Indiana; Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card in 1997 in Kentucky; and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in 2001 in the District Court in the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division.
This case is being investigated by the ATF/HIDTA Task Force, the Merrillville Police Department and the Hobart Police Department. This case is assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter.
The specific sentence in each case to be imposed upon conviction 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 these indictments are merely allegations and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.