Week In Review - Hammond

           Hammond, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:

PLEA

• Darian Lyndon Brown, 36, of Merrillville, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of mail fraud. The magistrate is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.  Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Sentencing has been set for 10/2/2014.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Stewart.

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

• Chopper Loughran, 32, of Lake Station, Indiana was sentenced to 2 years’ probation, 12 months’ home confinement and to pay $12,942.70 in restitution after being found guilty by a jury to the felony offenses of worker’s compensation fraud, wire fraud, federal program fraud and making false statements.  According to documents filed in this case, Loughran worked as a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Northwest Indiana for less than a year when she filed a claim stating that she injured her ankle while delivering mail.  At trial, the evidence established that Loughran filed the claim shortly after being advised that her performance was not up to standard.  Loughran knowingly submitted materially false statements and information on various forms connected with applications for compensation and payable benefits.  This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, the United States Department of Labor and the United States Department of Agriculture.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Houston.
  

• Jose Arriaga, 45, of Merrillville, Indiana was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment, followed by 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of intent to distribute cocaine.  According to documents filed in this case, in August 2013, Arriaga was arrested while attempting to sell 4 kilograms of cocaine to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential informant and an additional 7 kilograms of cocaine and $24,000 in cash was recovered from Arriaga’s property in Merrillville, Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.