U.S. Attorney's Office Details Criminal Sentencings Amid Government Shutdown

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA- During the lapse in appropriations between October 1 and November 12, 2025, the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office remained committed to ensuring that our fellow Hoosiers were safe, and our law enforcement capacity remained fully active. U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler is pleased to publicly acknowledge the efforts made and the outstanding work done notwithstanding the burdens of the longest government shutdown in history.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler also wishes to specifically acknowledge the dedication of the Federal Judges of the Southern District of Indiana, their staff, the Clerk and her staff, as well as the Marshalls Service during this time as well.

During this period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continued essential public safety operations, resulting in charges against 41 defendants across multiple categories of criminal conduct.

The criminal case summaries below highlight this commitment to justice and accountability, representing just a portion of the 30 total criminal sentencings secured during the 43‑day shutdown. Although these sentencings occurred during the lapse, they were not published at the time due to the government shutdown. They are now being released following the resumption of normal operations. 

For more information on individual cases, full press releases are available through the links below or on our website at Justice.gov/usao-sdin/news-and-press-releases.

INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION:

• U.S. v. Kimberly Dumes. Dumes, 43, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to wire fraud for submitting three fraudulent CARES Act loan applications between 2020 and 2021, which netted her $51,664. She falsely claimed to own businesses to secure EIDL and PPP funds, despite having no employees or actual operations. During this time, Dumes was employed with the U.S. Postal Service.

   

• U.S. v. Mitchell Gibson. Gibson, 40, an inmate at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex, was sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for fatally torturing his cellmate in 2020. Already serving 45 years for brutally assaulting his pregnant wife, Gibson’s history of violent abuse extended to multiple victims, reflecting a long-standing pattern of cruelty.

• U.S. v. Desha Morris. Morris, 39, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $335,589 in restitution after pleading guilty to mail and benefits fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, she used fake identities and forged documents to steal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, continuing a long history of forgery and identity theft. Morris carried out her scheme by creating fake identities with forged documents, impersonating applicants, and renting multiple addresses to receive EBT cards, which she then sold for cash or used herself.

• U.S. v. Michael Martinez. Martinez, 30, of Camby, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material. In May 2024, investigators linked him to the Kik account “the_goose_boi,” which had uploaded 28 illicit files and contained disturbing messages expressing sexual interest in minors. Martinez was already on probation for a 2020 conviction involving child sexual abuse material and exploitation when he committed the new offenses.

EVANSVILLE DIVISION:

• U.S. v. Samuel Kirkwood. Kirkwood, 36, of Evansville, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Investigators found explicit images on his cell phones, including one he admitted to creating by photographing a 10‑year‑old girl in his care.

   

• U.S. v. Anita Perez. Perez, 51, of Sellersburg, Indiana, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $2 million in restitution after pleading guilty to preparing fraudulent tax returns. From 2021 to 2023, she operated her business, ChuliTodo, where she filed 463 false returns on behalf of clients. These returns included fabricated business losses and inflated deductions, leading taxpayers to receive refunds they weren’t entitled to. Her schemes caused a tax loss of more than $1.5 million to the IRS.

• U.S. v. Uchechukwu Gideon Eze. Eze, 46, of Nigeria, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $182,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud. In 2023, Eze and overseas co-conspirators carried out a business email compromise scheme that tricked a Clark County, Indiana company into sending payments to a fraudulent account he controlled. He quickly drained the funds for personal purchases, fled the country, and was later arrested while attempting to re-enter the U.S. The fraud devastated the victim business, forcing its owners to refinance property, extend credit, and delay retirement plans.

   

• U.S. v. Dennis Carter and Kyle Wade Owens. Carter, 47, and Owens, 36, of Evansville, were sentenced to 20 months and 13 months in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to producing counterfeit U.S. currency. Between January and March 2025, the pair created at least 30 fake $100 bills by altering genuine $10 notes with printing equipment and chemicals. They used the counterfeit bills at numerous businesses in Indiana and Kentucky, receiving real currency as change.