David Gibson, Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Indiana 2023

Chicago Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Heroin Conspiracy

A 48-year-old Chicago man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a heroin conspiracy that took place in South Bend, Indiana.

David Gibson, 48, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin on September 20, 2019, after a four-day jury trial. Gibson and his co-defendant, Mr. Harris, were convicted of selling heroin in and around South Bend.

According to evidence presented at trial, Gibson conspired with others to sell heroin using a shared cellphone that customers called to arrange purchases. The conspirators made 28 separate heroin sales to undercover law enforcement officers between March and October of 2017. Phone records showed that the shared cellphones had over 80,000 contacts during the time of the conspiracy.

Gibson directed the sales conducted by those who sold heroin to the undercover officers. He will serve his 240-month prison sentence consecutively to a 12-year federal sentence in Wyoming, followed by 10 years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from several local police agencies, including the St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit, Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, Elkhart Police Department, the Interdiction and Covert Enforcement (ICE) Unit, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Molly Donnelly handled the case. Gibson's sentencing is a significant blow to those involved in the heroin trade in Indiana.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to take down heroin trafficking organizations and hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/pr/chicago-illinois-man-sentenced-20-years-prison