Gary Man Convicted of Drug Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Commit Murder

HAMMOND- Devonte Hodge, 32 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was found guilty of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (cocaine and 100 grams of heroin) and using a firearm to commit murder following a 6-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Hodge is scheduled for sentencing December 5, 2024. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

This case was investigated by the FBI/GRIT Task Force and the ATF/HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the Hobart Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Sheriff's Department, the Gary Police Department, the Kokomo Police Department, and the Lake County Prosecutor's Office. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Joel Mathur.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.