HAMMOND, Ind. - On July 14, 2026, Darod Wheeler, 55, of Gary, was found guilty following a two-day trial presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8, 2026. “The Defendant was found guilty for trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. According to trial...

ROCKFORD, Ill. — An Illinois man has been sentenced to over 24 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. On Oct. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bradley Walters’s place of business, Black Sheep Vintage, in Roscoe. Inside the premises, officers located more than...

HAMMOND, Ind. – On June 8, 2026, Nathaniel Johnson, 21, of Gary, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to distribution of a schedule II-controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Nathaniel Johnson was sentenced to 96 months...

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking firearms and drugs. In the fall of 2024, Efrain Jacobo sold methamphetamine, cocaine and seven firearms in a series of transactions in Joliet. Unbeknownst to Jacobo, the buyers were undercover law enforcement officers...

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 26 years in federal prison for distributing drugs through a dark web marketplace known as the “Nemesis Market.” Darren Hughes operated a vendor store offering free samples of methamphetamine on the Nemesis Market, one of the world’s largest dark web...

ROCKFORD, Ill. — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. DeMargio Tripp, 36, pleaded guilty earlier this year to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin in the Rockford area in 2024 and 2025. Tripp also admitted that...

MADISON, Wis. – Jamar M. Purnell, 49, Chicago, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of...

FORT WAYNE, Indiana – On May 13, 2026, Neumen Jacobs, 32, of Fort Wayne, was sentenced to 78 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to...

INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has secured prison sentences for six individuals convicted of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and other controlled substances. Each prosecution stemmed from a separate investigation and was individually resolved in March or April of 2026. Defendant Conviction(s) Sentence Prior...

INDIANAPOLIS - Arieon Lofton, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 16 years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, on July 26, 2025, the victim...