Week In Review – South Bend

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

DISPOSITIONS

• Jarvis Tolbert, 28, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment with 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly or intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing cocaine base over 28 grams.  According to documents filed in this case, on February 22, 2014, Tolbert possessed a package containing a white rocklike substance that he believed was crack.  Tolbert possessed this item in a hotel room in South Bend, Indiana. It was his intent to sell this substance.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

• Erskine A. Jones, 22, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment with 2 years of supervised after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  According to documents filed in this case, Jones had prior felony convictions for robbery (2012) and theft (2013).  On December 17, 2013, officers from the South Bend Police Street Crimes Unit were conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in Mishawaka, Indiana. Officers observed Erskine Jones looking out of an apartment window.  Officers were given permission to search that apartment.  Jones was located in that apartment; while searching the apartment,  officers found a Colt revolver hidden in a box of bread sticks in the freezer .  Jones admitted during an interview that he knew an individual put the revolver in the freezer and that he had a potential buyer for it.  This case was the result of an investigation by South Bend Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

• David Rodriguez, 31, of Elkhart, Indiana was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment with 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  According to documents filed in this case, on May 31, 2014, Rodriguez possessed a firearm in South Bend, Indiana.  Police recovered the firearm from a seat on the porch of a neighbor’s house where Rodriguez had been sitting.   This case was the result of an investigation by South Bend Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse M. Barrett.