Clifford D. Johnson, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana
Marvie Gardner, known as "Widowmaker," has been sentenced to 132 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. This sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after Gardner pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Gardner, aged 54 and from Jeffersonville, Indiana, was involved with the Sin City Deciples, an outlaw motorcycle organization that originated in Gary, Indiana in 1967. According to the Second Superseding Indictment, members and associates of this group engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution within the Northern District of Indiana and other areas.
During his time with the club, Gardner held the position of National Vice-President and participated in a conspiracy to commit racketeering activities between 2017 and 2020. He was third in command behind the club's founder and National President.
The investigation into this case involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; East Chicago Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Gary Police Department; Griffith Police Department; Hammond Police Department; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division; Lake County Sheriff’s Department; Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents; Merrillville Police Department; Munster Police Department; Schererville Police Department. Assistance was also provided by several U.S. Attorney’s Offices across different districts.
Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Michael J. Toth prosecuted this case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation aimed at disrupting high-level criminal organizations through a collaborative approach involving federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, this case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement at all levels and community organizations. The initiative focuses on fostering trust within communities, supporting violence prevention efforts, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes effectively.
