For Conspiracy to Distribute over 1 Kilogram of Heroin
SOUTH BEND - Anthony Owens, 31 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after entering a plea of guilty for conspiracy to distribute over 1 kilogram of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Anthony Owens was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, from August 2017 through October 2017, Owens was a member of a group that sold heroin in the South Bend and Mishawaka areas. The members shared at least one cell phone which was used to arrange heroin sales. Members of the group would receive that phone, along with multiple pre-packaged small baggies of heroin, from one of the other members of the group. Buyers would call that phone, and whichever member of the group had the phone at the time would arrange a heroin transaction with the buyer. Sometimes sellers would work individually, while other times sellers would cooperate to arrange and conduct heroin transactions. The selling price was set by others higher in the group and individual sellers would not unilaterally vary from that price. The majority of the proceeds from the heroin sales would be turned back in to the higher-ranking members and the individual sellers would be allowed to keep the remainder of the payment. Together, they distributed kilograms of heroin through thousands of retail transactions.
This case was investigated by DEA, ATF, St. Joseph County Drug Investigations Unit, St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office, Indiana State Police, Mishawaka Police and the Elkhart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Molly Donnelly
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
