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

January 14, 2010                                                                                 PHONE: (219) 937-5500

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/                                                                    Fax: (219) 852-2770 

ACTIVITY IN FEDERAL COURT - SOUTH BEND

South Bend, Indiana—The United States Attorney's Office announced:

Alvin R. Beachy, 80, of Mt. Airy, Ohio, plead guilty on 1/6/10 before Chief Judge Robert Miller, Jr., to mail fraud. Beachy was involved with Denise Thomas in a scheme to solicit money from numerous individuals to supposedly assist her with costs associated with the supposed settlement of an inheritance/estate. Sentencing has been set for April 21, 2010. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

Robert Ward, 34, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced on 1/11/10 by Chief Judge Robert Miller, Jr., to 10 months imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, to be served consecutively. Imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Ward admitted in a plea agreement that in June, 2009, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, he was selling heroin out of his home in South Bend, Indiana. Officers of the MSOS narcotics unit of the South Bend Police Department executed a search warrant at his home on June 4, 2009. He was arrested by officers with approximately 5 grams of a brown substance that he believed was heroin. Officers found a loaded .357 magnum Interarms handgun and an Ithaca shotgun in the room he was sleeping in and dealing heroin from. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, the South Bend Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

Matthew Mitchem, 23, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced on 1/11/10 by Chief Judge Robert Miller, Jr., to 60 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mitchem admitted that in February, 2009, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, he sold a white powder substance to an individual. During this time when he sold cocaine, he was in possession of a firearm. He kept the firearm to protect himself and his cocaine business. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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.