August 22, 2012

Indianapolis

Shortly before dawn Wednesday, federal agents conducted a series of raids across the state of Indiana as handcuffed and shackled suspects were brought to the agency’s Castleton headquarters.

Fox59 Russ McQuaid reports that the raids appeared to be part of a crackdown that U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett recently announced against organized crime in Indiana.Authorities have recently indicted a drug and gun running organization operating out of Seymour, Ind.

Wednesday’s raids were similar to the takedown of the Indianapolis-based Outlaws motorcycle gang in July.  Federal investigations typically stem from grand jury indictments. Those charges may be unsealed as early as Wednesday afternoon, when the suspects could make their initial appearances in federal court.

More on this developing story when details are available.

Source: FOX59  Indystar

Update to story.

Three hundred FBI SWAT team members from across the United States converged on Indiana before dawn Wednesday to conduct a series of raids aimed at breaking up a wide-ranging meth ring.

Documents obtained by Fox59 show that 40 people were indicted on charges ranging from conspiracy to distributing or intending to distribute drugs including heroin and methamphetamine.

According to court documents, two Indiana Department of Corrections inmates arranged for large shipments of drugs to be shipped from California to Indiana via the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and other courier services. The indictment also cited Chicago, Ill., as another source of heroin. Court documents also show that corrections officers took part in the operation, smuggling in controlled substances and cellphones to inmates in prison.

The indictment said the operation ran from June 2011 to August 2012. The drugs were sent to several different communities, including Indianapolis, Lafayette, Crawfordsville and Elkhart. Raids began at 6 a.m. Shortly before dawn, FBI vehicles with shackled and handcuffed suspects in back began arriving at the agency’s Castleton headquarters on the northside of Indianapolis.

Among those suspects exiting FBI vehicles in custody were two black males, two white females and several white males.
Charging information revealed as the federal grand jury indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court that the African American suspects are alleged to have dealt heroin with gang members. FBI sources told Fox59 that some of those indicted are connected to the Aryan Nations Brotherhood, a white supremacist group represented throughout Indiana as well as in the Department of Corrections.

U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett has repeatedly emphasized that the investigation of organized criminal gangs is a priority of the federal government.

In July FBI agents smashed the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, headquartered on Indianapolis’ eastside.

Some 40 members and associates were arrested on drug, weapons and extortion charges.

Recently Hogsett announced the arrests of four people from southern Indiana as federal agents investigated a ring that transported high-powered weapons to Mexico and returned to the Seymour area with drugs.