Duo Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine After Jury Trial

HAMMOND- Antonio Walton, age 43, and Charles Gould, age 36, both of Gary, Indiana, were convicted, late last night, after a jury trial in the Hammond District Court of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.

U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon presided over this 6-day jury trial.

According to documents in this case, from July 2015 through November 2016, Walton and Gould conspired with other individuals in Gary, Indiana, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.   As part of the conspiracy, cocaine was cooked into crack cocaine, packaged for sale, and distributed by members of the conspiracy in Gary’s Glen Park neighborhood, with armed individuals serving as security for the twenty-four hour a day drug operation.  During the investigation, law enforcement executed search warrants at five separate locations and recovered approximately 300 grams of crack cocaine packaged for sale, packaging materials, money, paraphernalia used to cook cocaine into crack cocaine, and a 33-page drug ledger.  It is estimated that gross drug sales ran into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Walton has prior felony convictions for dealing in cocaine, distribution of marijuana, and possession of ammunition as a felon.   

To date, seventeen other charged members of the conspiracy have been convicted of drug-related offenses in this case.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Response Investigative Team with the assistance of the Gary and Hobart Police Departments.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas R. Mahoney and Alexandra McTague.