Indiana Man Found Guilty for Controlled Substance and Firearm Offenses
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On Sept. 18, 2026, DeCarlos L. Smallwood, 51, of South Bend, was convicted of eight felony counts after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty.
Smallwood was found guilty of drug and firearm offenses, including conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, distribution and possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2027.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, DEA North Central Laboratory, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Police Department, and Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius and Joel Gabrielse.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.
