Clifford D. Johnson, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana
Adam Motheral, a 50-year-old resident of Elkhart, Indiana, has been sentenced to 228 months in prison. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty following Motheral's guilty plea to charges of distributing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay announced the sentencing.
Motheral's sentence also includes four years of supervised release. According to court documents, between October 2023 and February 2024, he sold four firearms and over 400 grams of high-purity methamphetamine in Elkhart. A search of his home led to the discovery of approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine and nine additional firearms. Motheral's criminal record includes four prior felony convictions and twelve misdemeanor convictions.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the DEA North Central Laboratory); Homeland Security Investigations; the Elkhart County Intelligence and Covert Enforcement Unit; the Elkhart Police Department; the South Bend Police Department; and the LaGrange, Illinois Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that collaborates with law enforcement at all levels and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence while enhancing neighborhood safety. On May 26, 2021, a strategy was launched to strengthen PSN based on fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
