Week In Review – South Bend

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

PLEAS

• Tyren Leeks, 41, of Portage, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of false claims on tax return. The magistrate judge 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 NCIS.  Sentencing has been set for May 11, 2015.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.

• Nathan Mougros, 26, of Michigan City, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute heroin. The magistrate judge 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 Drug Enforcement Administration.  Sentencing has been set for May 14, 2015.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.

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

• Gail Waymire, 58, of La Porte, Indiana was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of wire fraud.  According to documents filed in this case, on or about July 23,2010, in the Northern District of lndiana, Waymire devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and for the purpose of executing the scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, knowingly transmitted and caused to be transmitted in interstate commerce, by means of wire communications, certain writings, signs, signals, and sounds.  Specifically, Waymire was hired by Fort Wayne Public Television, Public Broadcast Station ("PBS"), in October 2009.  Waymire was responsible for PBS's  finances.  PBS maintained a bank account in Indiana at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A, and she maintained bank accounts in Indiana at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., and Three Rivers Federal Credit Union.  Waymire understood that all transfers from PBS's account to any of her accounts were routed through computer servers in Texas. She used her position at PBS to commit fraud, obtaining funds to which she was not entitled. Waymire used several different methods to obtain this money. Regarding Count 1, on July 23, 2010, she received into my bank account a $8,975 deposit from PBS's bank account.  She was not entitled to these funds, as they were generated by a false invoice she created to PBS.  This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett.

• Deandre Lee Mosley Walker, 18, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of attempted arson.  According to documents filed in this case, in early March 2014, Morgan offered to commit a violent crime for a confidential informant (“CI”) working for the government. Specifically, Morgan agreed to commit an arson on a vehicle that he believed belonged to a local drug dealer in exchange for a payment of $600 from the CI.  Morgan enlisted Walker to help him with the arson.  On March 11, 2014, Morgan said he would have his “deuce five” (.25 caliber firearm) with him to watch over Walker when the fire was being started and indicated he would fire shots off if necessary. Then, on March 13, 2014, the CI picked up Morgan and Walker in South Bend, Indiana and the two got into the CI’s vehicle.  Morgan and Walker carried a red gas can with them. Morgan and Walker continued to make statements about their plan to burn a vehicle for cash payment. While driving, the CI learned that Walker was armed with a .25 caliber firearm. Morgan was aware that Walker carried the .25 caliber firearm. At approximately 8:33 PM, the CI pulled his vehicle into a convenience/gas station and Walker exited the vehicle with a red gas can and pumped gas into the container.  Minutes later the CI’s vehicle left the gas station with Walker and Morgan and continued in the direction of the 300 block of Chestnut Street in South Bend, Indiana. While in route to the location of the vehicle, the CI paid Morgan $300.00 in cash as partial payment for the planned arson. In the 300 block of Chestnut Street in South Bend, Indiana, the target vehicle to be burned was parked. This vehicle was a 2013 Ford F-150 truck.  This vehicle was involved in interstate commerce as the vehicle was regularly rented by a car rental company.  At approximately 8:45 p.m. on March 13, 2014, Walker and Morgan exited the CI’s vehicle and began running down the street toward the location of the target vehicle. Agents intercepted the two and found Morgan to be in possession of the $300.00 in cash (ATF funds). Morgan was also in possession of a knife. Morgan was also found to have in his possession a gasoline-soaked paper wick. Walker was found to be in possession of a 5 gallon gasoline can containing an amount of gasoline, a Lorcin, model L25, .25 caliber pistol, loaded with .25 caliber ammunition, as well as a lighter.  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 Donald Schmid.