United States Attorney David Capp

Northern District of Indiana

M01-204 S. Main Street

South Bend, IN 46601

Hammond                                                 South Bend                                               Fort Wayne

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         CONTACT: Mary L. Hatton August 17, 2010                                                                                 PHONE: (219) 937-5603 www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/                                                                   Fax: (219) 852-2770ACTIVITY IN FEDERAL COURT - SOUTH BEND

South Bend, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

Carlos Velazco-Ramirez, 37, of Logansport, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 42 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with illegal re-entry after having been deported. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Tony Griffin, 29, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 57 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Benjamin Minnick, 24, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to 30 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to counts one and three of an indictment charging him with possession of a stolen firearm and being a user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Devell Harris, 35, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Jon DeGuilio to 51 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with unlawful transport of firearms. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk.

Timothy Rallings, 35, of Kokomo, Indiana, pled guilty before Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to count one of an indictment charging him with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives and the Indiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Grimmer.

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.