The U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation representatives are warning residents to be aware of possible scam artists with the upcoming tax filing and payment deadline of July 15.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently announced that a Knox man was charged in a six-count Indictment with the distribution of and possession with intent to distribute schedule II and III narcotics.
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Opioid-antidote Narcan is having an impact on the number of overdose deaths. According to the Indiana State Department of Health’s winter newsletter, the rate of unintentional drug poisoning deaths increased by nearly 900 percent from 1999 to 2015. In 2016, over 1,800 Hoosiers died from drug poisoning, mainly from opioids.
A sergeant with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office is being recognized for saving the life of an overdose victim in Clinton County last month.
A training video designed to inform school leaders and staff about sexual abuse will be released.
The Indiana Department of Education will be distributing a video to all Indiana school corporations where it is encouraged to share it with all staff members. The video is part of a collaboration between the IDOE, Indiana State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An alleged scheme to bond inmates out of the LaPorte County Jail using stolen credit card accounts has resulted in federal charges against three people, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Continue reading
A lengthy federal investigation into the distribution of heroin from Chicago into northwest Indiana resulted in the arrest of six LaPorte County residents. Continue reading
Two Rensselaer residents have been indicted on drug charges in Hammond Federal Court.
31-year-old Amin Guillermo Velazquez and 28-year-old Johana Jatzhiry Velazquez were charged with conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute four kilos or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Illinois State Police.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation and that the pair are innocent until proven guilty.
The Star City Fire Department and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating a house fire that occurred at Nathan VanDerAa’s home in Star City on Sunday.
The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office told WKVI that the fire is considered incendiary, meaning that it was created by someone. The home and VanDerAa’s vehicle were both set on fire. VanDerAa was reportedly not at home at the time of the incident. If you have any information about this arson, call the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 946-6655. A reward of $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of any suspect(s) responsible for this incident. Continue reading
Federal charges have been filed against Nathan VanDerAa of Star City.
On June 3rd, VanDerAa was arrested on a charge of Possession of Methamphetamine after a traffic stop and a few days later, Starke County officers arrived at his home in Star City and found that he was in the presence of a meth lab, firearms and ammunition. Pulaski County Prosecutor, Stacey Mrak, filed methamphetamine related charges against him and the ATF was expected to file a federal charge for a firearm possession. Mrak recently dismissed the County’s charges against VanDerAa and they were transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Bend. VanDerAa had his initial hearing in federal court in South Bend on July 6th.
