Gary Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Commit Murder
HAMMOND–Devonte Hodge, 29 years old, of Gary, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and using a firearm to commit murder following a 6-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Hodge was sentenced to life in prison for using a firearm to commit murder. He was also sentenced to 480 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
According to documents in the case, in the summer of 2016, Hodge and others conspired to sell and sold cocaine and heroin from a residence located in Gary, Indiana. Additionally, on October 8, 2016, Hodge shot and killed a victim who was sitting in a car in Gary, believing the victim was cooperating with law enforcement about the drug conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the FBI/GRIT Task Force and ATF/HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the Hobart Police, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and the Gary Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Joel Mathur.
