United States Attorney David Capp

Northern District of Indiana

5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 1500

Hammond, Indiana 46320

Hammond                                                 South Bend                                               Fort Wayne

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         CONTACT: Mary L. Hatton

June 30, 2011                                                                                      PHONE: (219) 937-5500

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

WEEK IN REVIEW - HAMMOND

Hammond, Indiana—The United States Attorney's Office announced the following:

Ronald Love, 35, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 168 months imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release after being found guilty at trial as to counts one and two of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Alan Zimmerman, 43, of Chesterton, Indiana pled guilty before Senior Judge James Moody to count one of an indictment charging him with possession with the intent to manufacture and distribute marijuana. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang-Adiga.

Emanuel Williams, 26, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Senior Judge Rudy Lozano to 51 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. 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 Nicholas Padilla.

Tynan Thompson, 31, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior Judge Rudy Lozano to 108 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with interstate kidnaping in the case US v Blades et al. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Chicago Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Sherice Murff, 33, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 18 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to count one of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to steal money from a program receiving federal funds. Murff was also ordered to pay restitution of $211,000. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Collins.

Martell Bailey, 20, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior Judge James Moody to count one of a superseding indictment charging him with making false statements in the purchase of a firearm in that he lied about purchasing the firearm for himself when he was actually purchasing the firearm for another individual. Bailey also has pending felony robbery charges in state court. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Sanuel Johnson, 34, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 24 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. Johnson has a prior felony conviction for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in bodily injury, and Johnson also has two prior misdemeanor convictions for assault, one prior misdemeanor conviction for battery, one prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic battery, and seventeen prior convictions for driving while suspended or driving on a suspended license. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force, and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

William Wicks, 48, of Chesterton, Indiana, pled guilty before Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to count two of an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wicks made false statements in purchasing a .38 caliber revolver from a federally licensed firearms dealer by indicating that he did not have a felony conviction, when in fact he was previously convicted of the felony offense of burglary in 1983. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Lance Vitocorleone Payton, 33, of East Chicago, Indiana, was charged in a criminal complaint with possessing a firearm as a felon. According to the government, while on a street Payton shot a person in the shoulder in East Chicago on the evening of Sunday, June 26, after which Payton dropped the nine millimeter, semi-automatic pistol he used to do the shooting and fled. East Chicago Police arrested Payton and recovered the firearm. In a post-arrest statement, Payton indicated he had another firearm in his residence. The ATF thereafter executed a federal search warrant on Payton’s residence and recovered four additional firearms and ammunition. Payton has prior felony convictions for intimidation, resisting law enforcement, and possession of cocaine, and has misdemeanor convictions for battery and resisting law enforcement. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the ATF/HIDTA Task Force and East Chicago Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Sarah Harris, 31, of Schererville, Indiana, was charged in criminal Information with making a false statement on a Uniform Residential Loan application, and identity theft. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Indiana State Police. This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell.

            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.