Crime Correspondent: Fort Wayne Police Department

38-year-old Andre L. Hutchins and his 31-year-old wife, Talitha N. Hutchins ran a sophisticated cocaine-trafficking ring from their home

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxl3vkya_JmC874Lgbp2RdVl3Uje3YRjtwctGtxSlAQkYrHSapW9u3rsG8vhmsoUcL7lonJdHNwWOGQ0a7nyJ7pytog9D9f0h7vvru9AxJ69F5ibDQHYbgstR2P6f5OIcpFnIM-TRUAo/s1600-h/andy.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341153479430813554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxl3vkya_JmC874Lgbp2RdVl3Uje3YRjtwctGtxSlAQkYrHSapW9u3rsG8vhmsoUcL7lonJdHNwWOGQ0a7nyJ7pytog9D9f0h7vvru9AxJ69F5ibDQHYbgstR2P6f5OIcpFnIM-TRUAo/s400/andy.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 250px;" /></a> 38-year-old Andre L. Hutchins and his 31-year-old wife, Talitha N. Hutchins ran a sophisticated cocaine-trafficking ring from their home in the 2700 block of Jacobs Creek Run, according to court documents.The 61-page federal criminal complaint released Thursday outlined the activities of the other members of the conspiracy, much of which was captured through cell phone conversations intercepted through numerous wire taps, according to court documents.Andre Hutchins’ 73-year-old mother, Arielean Hutchins, was also charged, accused of letting her son use her John Street home as a stash house, according to court documents.Also charged in the trafficking scheme are Charles Dies, 52; Paris Jones, 37; Takiesha McGlaston, 34; Adrian Lee, 37; Kevin Porter, 51; John Minniefield, 31; Greg Johnson, 38; Derrick Tennant, 32; Lakeshia Dominguez, 31; Frederick Parrish, 29; Michael Watson, 33; Brad Moore, 23; and Michael Lamb, 47.Earlier this week, officers served a number of search warrants at 15 locations throughout Fort Wayne, including two storage units. According to court documents, officers found $7,200 in cash and guns in the Hutchins’ home, bundles of cash in the two storage units used by Jones, as well as another $37,000 and a handgun at Jones’ home in the 13100 block of Bolinni Lane. At Dies’ Decatur Road home, police found a kilogram of cocaine and $30,000 in cash.The investigation began through the undercover work of the Fort Wayne Police Department about eight months ago as they looked at the activities of Watson, officials said."Fort Wayne police alone could not have taken this investigation this far," Police Chief Rusty York said.Through that investigation, the other law enforcement agencies became involved, culminating in a string of federal wire taps earlier this year, undercover drug buys and surveillance of the parties involved, according to court documents. Andre Hutchins organized the enterprise, according to federal officials, lining up orders and arranging distributors via throw-away cell phones, Capp said."There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of phone calls," Capp said. "It was non-stop. … Sometimes the principals in the conspiracy never, ever touched the dope."Thomas Gancarz, The FBI’s Indianapolis Division assistant special agent in charge, said the criminal charges were first public work of the Safe Streets Task Force, which has officially operated since late April.And standing before the bank of microphones and TV cameras, Gancarz issued a warning to those involved with drugs and violent crimes in Fort Wayne."This behavior will not be tolerated," he said.The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to have all those arrested held in jail pending trial, Capp said. The 16 people named in the complaint are all charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine from July 2008 to May 2009. Dies, Lee and Porter are also charged with possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jones was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

38-year-old Andre L. Hutchins and his 31-year-old wife, Talitha N. Hutchins ran a sophisticated cocaine-trafficking ring from their home

38-year-old Andre L. Hutchins and his 31-year-old wife, Talitha N. Hutchins ran a sophisticated cocaine-trafficking ring from their home in ...

Indicted Woodrow Ormiston on five counts related to drug dealing.

Indicted Woodrow Ormiston on five counts related to drug dealing.On Monday, Ormiston entered a plea to one count of the indictment – distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine – as well as a new charge recently filed by federal prosecutors.Late last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trgovich filed a single charge of wire fraud, accusing Ormiston of providing false information to mortgage lender Countrywide Home Loans in order to obtain a mortgage. Ormiston claimed to make $6,000 a month as owner of Furious Cycles, according to court documents.Ormiston also consented to giving up a pair of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and $66,000 in cash to the federal government, according to court documentsAlong with Ormiston, the grand jury indicted Michael A. Bower, 32, on counts of conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, maintaining a building for the purpose of dealing drugs, possessing firearms to further a drug crime, money laundering and two counts of dealing cocaine. The two men were accused of trafficking drugs out of Waynedale homes from January to April. Also indicted were Kevin Bender, 45, and Dan Phillips, 46, both of Fort Wayne. They are accused of dealing cocaine and witness tampering. Last spring, federal prosecutors obtained indictments for Alan Lichty and Shane Silvers, both of Fort Wayne.Each is charged with conspiring to deal 500 grams or more of cocaine, dealing cocaine and possessing a firearm to further a drug crime. Lichty was indicted on five additional charges of dealing cocaine, as well as an additional charge of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, court documents said. According to court documents, agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as officers with the Fort Wayne Police Department gathered information about Bower and Ormiston since 2005. Silvers lived in a home owned by Bower and would pick up cocaine from Ormiston’s home.Investigators found drugs in a garage of a house owned by Ormiston, where he would leave drugs for dealers to pick up and then leave money in their place, court documents said. When Fort Wayne police arrested Ormiston in May, he had $21,600 in cash in his truck, as well as four cell phones and about a gram of cocaine, according to court documents. According to the indictments against Bower, in August Bower obtained a loan from GMAC to buy a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, saying he was employed by SS Computer & Tech for four years, with an income of $40,000 a year. Investigators learned Bower started SS Computer & Tech to hide money earned by dealing drugs, according to court documents.

Indicted Woodrow Ormiston on five counts related to drug dealing.

Indicted Woodrow Ormiston on five counts related to drug dealing.On Monday, Ormiston entered a plea to one count of the indictment – distrib...