United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On July 28, 2026, DeCarlos Christopher Smallwood, 29, of South Bend, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

Smallwood was sentenced to 228 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

“There is no room in north central Indiana for violent drug dealers, let alone for those with prior felony convictions. Mr. Smallwood will soon depart our community for a long, 19-year-stay at a federal correctional institution. While there, he can contemplate the pain and suffering he brought to fellow Hoosiers, and hopefully he will work towards being a productive member of society upon his return," said Alfred Cooke, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Merrillville District Office. "In the meantime, the Drug Enforcement Administration, its law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who traffic drugs and bring violence to our cherished northern Indiana.” 

“An armed drug dealer possessed nearly a pound and a half of pure methamphetamine intending to profit from unleashing that poison in our community. He will spend the next nineteen years in prison and will be supervised for five years once he is released. He is no stranger to the system as he has convictions for perjury and a prior federal felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, which prohibited him from lawfully possessing firearms. On November 6, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants on Smallwood’s home and a vehicle on the property. Officers found approximately 669 grams of pure methamphetamine and a loaded Ruger firearm.  Thanks to the combined efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the DEA Merrillville District Office, DEA Chicago Special Response Team, DEA Detroit Special Response Team, DEA St. Louis Special Response Team, and DEA North Central Laboratory; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Indiana State Police; the South Bend Police Department; the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office; the Mishawaka Police Department; and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office led by Ken Cotter, the case was brought and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius. Our community and nation are safer because of their partnership as part of the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.

This case was investigated by the DEA, including the DEA Merrillville District Office, DEA Chicago Special Response Team, DEA Detroit Special Response Team, DEA St. Louis Special Response Team, and DEA North Central Laboratory; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, Mishawaka Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.

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 prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.