HAMMOND - Darod Wheeler, 55 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty by a jury of trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Wheeler was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.

According to trial testimony and documents in the case, on July 24, 2025, during an initial controlled purchase outside his residence in Gary, Indiana, Wheeler sold more than 5 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant acting at the direction of law enforcement. Five days later, on July 29, 2025, during a second controlled purchase outside that residence, Wheeler sold more than 5 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of fentanyl, and a quantity of heroin to that informant. Less than an hour after the second controlled purchase concluded, officers searched Wheeler's residence and located the money used to pay Wheeler for those drugs. During a post-Miranda statement, Wheeler confessed to drug trafficking.

Wheeler had a prior federal conviction for a "serious drug felony," distribution of fentanyl, in the Northern District of Indiana for which he served more than twelve months of imprisonment and for which he was released from serving any term of imprisonment related to that offense within fifteen years of July 24 and July 29, 2025. Based on that prior conviction, Wheeler was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of imprisonment.

"The sentencing of Darod Wheeler sends a definitive message: those who profit from the poisoning of our communities will face severe consequences. Wheeler is a career criminal whose illicit operations brought methamphetamine, heroin, and deadly fentanyl into Northern Indiana. Driven entirely by greed, he brazenly chose to resume his destructive trade while on federal supervised release for the exact same offenses-less than a year after his previous sentencing.

This was not a victimless crime. The jury heard devastating testimony of how Wheeler callously exploited the vulnerability of local residents struggling with addiction, treating human suffering as a business model for personal profit. His actions carry a direct and dangerous toll, including a nonfatal overdose linked directly to his supply. By holding him accountable, we removed a major source of lethal narcotics from our streets, protected vulnerable lives, and reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to defending Northern Indiana families from the devastation of drug trafficking. This successful prosecution was made possible by the team efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative, the Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group, the Porter County Sheriff's Office, the Valparaiso Police Department, and Assistant United States Attorneys Kristian R. Mukoski and Ambris Saravanan," said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

"This investigation highlights what can be accomplished when police departments and federal task forces work together towards common goals. The Drug Enforcement Administration and its partners remain focused on keeping our communities safe and free from deadly drugs, such as illicit fentanyl. Mr. Wheeler had a prior federal conviction for a drug offense, which he could have left in his past. But clearly, that mattered least to him when he chose to continue along the path of destroying lives and families through his drug dealing. Mr. Wheeler can now ponder the damage he did to Hoosiers while serving his time in a federal correctional institution. Indiana is safer and healthier with him out of our community in the many years ahead," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Merrillville District Office, Alfred A. Cooke.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group, the Porter County Sheriff's Office, and the Valparaiso Police Department, with support from the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristian R. Mukoski and Ambris Saravanan.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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