Derek Fields, Kidnapping and Ransom Demand, IN 2023

Derek Fields, 30, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty by a federal jury after a three-day trial on charges of kidnapping, transmitting a ransom demand, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The verdict marks the final conviction in a brutal kidnapping case that left a man shot and terrorized in northern Indiana.

Fields was the last of three co-defendants to stand trial. Ivan Brazier was convicted on July 13, 2016, of kidnapping and extortion and is set for sentencing on December 14, 2016. Lindani Mzembe was convicted on August 24, 2016, on charges of kidnapping, extortion, felon in possession of a firearm, and use of a firearm in a crime of violence, with sentencing scheduled for December 1, 2016.

Court documents reveal that Fields and his co-defendants, all felons, armed themselves illegally to abduct the victim and hold him against his will. They demanded a ransom for his release—an extortion plot that quickly turned violent. The victim was shot during the ordeal when one of the defendants discharged a firearm.

The shooting, confirmed during trial testimony, added a deadly edge to the kidnapping charge and triggered federal firearm enhancements. As convicted felons, Fields, Brazier, and Mzembe were prohibited from possessing any weapons—making their armed involvement a standalone federal offense.

The investigation was a joint operation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Bend Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide. Agents combed through ballistic evidence, witness statements, and ransom communications to build a case that led to convictions on all counts.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John M. Maciejczyk and Joel Gabrielse. U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana confirmed the verdict, emphasizing that violent criminals who use firearms during crimes will face full federal prosecution. Sentencing for Fields has not yet been scheduled.