South Bend man sentenced to 34 years in prison
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Brandon Edelman, 33, of South Bend, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., for armed drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Mr. Edelman was sentenced to 408 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Mr. Edelman was initially indicted in June of 2018 for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, armed drug trafficking and felon in possession of a firearm. On Feb. 7, 2019, a jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts following a two-day trial.
“A sentence of 34 years should send a strong message to others who wish to engage in similar criminal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch. “The propensity for violence increases when narcotics are involved. Edelman further endangered lives by evading law enforcement with a high speed chase and having his passenger throw a loaded firearm out a window during that chase. These violent acts will not be tolerated. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and prosecute dangerous individuals like Mr. Edelman.”
According to documents in this case, in April 2018, South Bend Police observed Mr. Edelman driving a stolen truck. When police attempted to investigate, Mr. Edelman drove off at an extremely high speed. The vehicle pursuit lasted approximately 13 minutes, ending only when the vehicle was disabled; Mr. Edelman then ran from police. Mr. Edelman subsequently admitted to having his accomplice, during the vehicle pursuit, throw $20,000 cash, a loaded handgun, and a quarter pound of methamphetamine out the window as those items were incriminating. Police were able to recover the handgun. Mr. Edelman had previously been convicted of five felonies and eight misdemeanor offenses. He was on probation when he committed the April 2018 federal crimes.
This was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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