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 Hatton

June 1, 2012 PHONE: (219) 937-5603

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

WEEK IN REVIEW – HAMMOND

Hammond, Indiana- The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following:

PLEAS:

Ø Eric R. Hoover, 27, of Cedar Lake, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior Judge James T. Moody to the felony offense of making counterfeited obligations of the United States, being fifty ($50.00), twenty ($20.00) and ten ($10.00) dollar Federal Reserve Notes. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Stewart.

Ø Aaron Sokolowski, 26, of Merrillville, Indiana, pled guilty before Senior Judge James T. Moody to the felony offense of possession with the intent to 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 Joshua Kolar.

Ø Carlos Martinez, 28, of Hollywood, Florida, pled guilty before Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute heroin. Sentencing has been set for 9/5/12. 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 Joshua Kolar.

Ø Aaron Montoya-Gonzalez, 30, of Pasadena, Texas, pled guilty before Senior Judge James T. Moody to the felony offense of conspiracy to 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 Joshua Kolar.

Ø Maurice Morgan, 35, of Gary, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. Magistrate Rodovich is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lake Station Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Ø Chad Shedron, 36, of Rossville, Indiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Philip Simon to the felony offenses of health care fraud by executing a scheme to defraud the Indiana Medicaid health benefit program and attempt to evade income tax for the year 2007. According to the plea agreement filed in this case, Shedron agreed that the amount of fraudulent Indiana Medicaid billing is $3,521,961.22 and will be responsible for restitution in this amount. Sentencing has been set for 8/30/12. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.

Ø Juan Martin Del Campo, 45, of East Chicago, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry to the felony offense of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Magistrate Cherry is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by ICE - Homeland Security Investigations and the East Chicago Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Padilla.

If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

DISPOSITIONS:

Ø Nelly Garcia-Ramos, 33, of Cicero, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior Judge James T. Moody to 37 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release if not subject to deportation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar

Ø Leonardo Gaitan-Flores, 43, of Cicero, Illinois, a defendant in the case US v Garcia-Ramos et al., was sentenced by Senior Judge James T. Moody to 37 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release if not subject to deportation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Ø Shane Howard, 29, of Rensselaer, Indiana, a defendant in the case US v Lee et al., was sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 33 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession of pseudoephedrine, a listed chemical to manufacture methamphetamine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Nozick.

Ø Brandon Lee, 22, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Van Bokkelen to 21 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of the offense, Lee was on probation for a felony conviction of dealing cocaine. Lee has been in custody since his arrest in August 2011. This case was the result of an investigation by the Indiana State Police, the Gary Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.

Ø Julio Tenorio, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Senior Judge James T. Moody to 37 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Ø Ray Anthony Smith, 36, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced on 5/24/12 by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 70 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of distribution of crack cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline Jacobs.

Ø Dwayne Swims, 49, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced on 5/21/12 by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 180 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and distribution of crack cocaine. According to the Sentencing Memorandum filed by the government, Swims has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery in 2002, robbery in 1998 and rape in 1983. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.

Ø Oscar DeLeon, 57, of Crestwood, Illinois, was sentenced on 5/18/12 by Chief Judge Philip Simon to 100 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to possess and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Kolar.