Gary Man Sentenced To 120 Months In Prison or Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

 

HAMMOND-Lafayette Caldwell, 32, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by Judge Philip P. Simon to 120 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 280 grams of crack cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.    

“Selling dangerous drugs, such as crack cocaine, will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Indiana,” said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.  “I want to commend the outstanding job done of the FBI, in coordination with state and local law enforcement agencies, to remove this group from the streets of Gary.”

According to documents in the case, for some time between July of 2015 and November of 2016, Caldwell participated in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the Glen Park neighborhood of Gary, Indiana.  The conspiracy involved a twenty-four hour a day operation in which sellers of crack cocaine worked in shifts and armed security communicated with walkie-talkies.  In furtherance of the conspiracy, Caldwell sold crack cocaine from an abandoned residence on Massachusetts Avenue.  The conspiracy included the distribution of crack cocaine from multiple houses, including one house in which law enforcement recovered over 100 grams of crack cocaine and two firearms during execution of a search warrant.     

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

“Holding Mr. Caldwell accountable for his drug trafficking dealings in the Glen Park neighborhood with this long prison sentence should hopefully restore a feeling of safety for the residents of this community,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “It should also put other drug dealers on notice that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will utilize all resources available to ensure violent offenders are held responsible for their illegal activities.”

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.