CIRCUIT COURT: Brown sentenced to 52 years for attempted murder

Apr. 4—GOSHEN — Dentrell M. Brown was sentenced to a total of 52 years in prison Thursday following a jury trial's guilty verdict in early March.

Brown was found guilty of attempted murder for a shooting at Elkhart Eagles Club 395, 225 W. Marion St., Elkhart, April 17, 2022. He was also found guilty of Criminal Recklessness, a Level 6 Felony; but not guilty of Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony.

Police said in the charging affidavit that a fight broke out and the entertainment director attempted to remove the man from the situation, but Brown instead ran out the exit door, returning moments later with a gun. Brown claimed he'd found the gun on the ground when he was jumped by a ground of men, and went into the bathroom, returning to the dance floor minutes later where someone began charging at him. He discharged the firearm several times and then left.

Saadallah Altameemi and Lamondre Townsend were shot several times. Both men required extensive surgeries and physical therapy as a result of the shooting.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kathleen Claeys argued that with the delay in time between the fight and the shooting, there was no excuse.

"He made the choice to come out of that bathroom and instead of losing himself in the sea of people that was going down the stairs getting out of this building... he chose to go back into the event space where allegedly there were people that were beating him up, he chose to go back into the event space and start firing on those people," Claeys said, adding that Brown also chose to chase Altameemi down the hallway, stairs, and outside when he didn't have to. "That is not self-defense."

For his part, Brown did not agree.

"I believe in the law of self-defense," Brown said. " I believe everything I did is what anyone in my shoes would have done. I understand two young men were hurt and I don't take that lightly, but I believe I would have lost my life if not for me being able to defend myself."

Brown was also convicted of the murder of 35-year-old Gerald Wenger, Elkhart, in March 2008. He was just 14 at the time and his co-defendant was 19. In September 2021, it was agreed that Brown would sit for a new jury trial after a habeas corpus petition was granted. Instead, the trial was vacated.

At sentencing, Brown said felt wronged, accused the Elkhart police of fabricating testimony, and said he was and is entitled to have the state ballistic lab examine the evidence.

"I'm not asking for sympathy or mercy, only justice," Brown added.

Brown's attorney Amanda C. Price told Elkhart County Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno that other juries would likely have found him innocent of attempted murder, but this jury found him innocent of aggravated battery but guilty of attempted murder.

"That's true of every trial I do, civil or criminal," Christofeno responded. "That's the system that we have. It's not perfect. It is the best in the world, in my opinion."

Christofeno was especially upset, recalling that during Brown's hearings from the 2008 case, Brown told the Judge that he wanted to get out of the area.

"I told you I thought that would be a smart move on your part — get a fresh start," Christofeno said. "And instead, you wasted that opportunity for a new start."

"You could have left the club, called the police, reported the battery you say was committed upon and that one witness testified about and by doing so you would have remained a law-abiding citizen, but instead you went back into the club for revenge."

With an enhanced sentence, Brown was sentenced to 37 years on the charge of Attempted Murder, a Level 1 Felony; with a firearm enhancement of 15 years; and 2 years of reporting probation for the charge of Criminal Recklessness. It's a total of 54 years at the Indiana Department of Corrections and 2 years on reporting probation.

Brown said he does intend to appeal the ruling. He was appointed a public defender.

MASON E. BAILS

A man pleaded guilty to a magic mushroom operation in Elkhart County in Elkhart County Superior Court 3 and was sentenced to five and half years Thursday.

Mason Bails, 34, Goshen, is charged with Dealing a Schedule I, II, or III Controlled Substance, a Level 2 Felony; Possession of Marijuana, A Class B Misdemeanor; and Possession of Paraphernalia, a Class C Misdemeanor after Elkhart County Intelligence and Covert Enforcement Unit raided his home on Dec. 13.

A press release from the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office indicated that the team began the investigation after they received information from Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team in Michigan about someone with a "psilocybin mushroom lab" located in Goshen due to a separate psilocybin dealing investigation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Psilocybin mushrooms are a Schedule I controlled substance.

The ICE unit executed a search warrant for a property in the 57000 block of C.R. 117 Dec. 13. They reportedly located 35 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms already harvested and 42 plastic tubs of mushrooms in various stages of growth.

Officers said they found 33 clear plastic bags containing over 14,000 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and drying mushrooms in various stages of the growth and harvesting process as well as dehydrators.

In fact, the operation appears to have been a more organized business named "Fruits 4 Thought," complete with advertising, marketing products, and pricing information at the property, the affidavit reveals.

Packages, stickers, magnets and T-shirts bore the brand logo, as well as a banner found in the garage grow room, police reported. Prices were identified by police as between $20 to $400, and the prosecutor's office indicated that the street value of the mushrooms may be around $56,000.

The team also found 50 packages of THC candy, over 4,700 grams of candy bars labeled to contain psilocybin, several glass jars with a wax-like substance, and a "large amount of currency," the prosecutor's office press release indicates.

It's the second large-scale psilocybin mushroom operation the ICE unit has dismantled in the last year, the press release indicated.

Bails was sentenced by plea to 1.5 years with the Indiana Department of Corrections for Dealing in a Schedule I Controlled Substance, a Level 3 Felony, and 4 years to be served on alternative placement through Michiana Community Corrections, a total of 5.5 years.

MATTHEW R. THOMPSON

A murder suspect's motion for a fast and speedy trial was approved by Elkhart County Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno during Thursday's court proceedings. Matthew Thompson, 36, is believed responsible for the death of his 27-year-old Ciarra Thompson Aug. 18. His jury trial is scheduled for May 6, after competency evaluations came back showing Thompson fit to stand trial.

Police were called to 1426 Cone St., Elkhart, at 7:16 p.m. Aug. 19, for a report that Thompson's wife was unconscious, not breathing, and bloodied. According to court documents, Thompson reported that he'd found Ciarra on the kitchen floor and she would not wake up.

Ciarra was already deceased when officers arrived on scene, and Elkhart County Homicide Unit was called in. In the charging affidavit, officers stated they found blood throughout the living room and kitchen of the home, with a large amount saturating the living room couch, and noted that some of it had been cleaned up. Detectives also noted that Ciarra had open wounds on her head and neck.

Speaking to detectives, Thompson admitted that he'd cleaned up some of the blood, but initially denied causing harm to Ciarra, the affidavit reads. He did eventually admit, according to investigators, that Friday, Aug. 18 he'd punched Ciarra numerous times on her head and shook her. After his last punch, the affidavit reads, Ciarra struck her head on the kitchen counter before falling down on the kitchen floor. Thompson told police that Ciarra had been in the same place she'd fallen when he called police.

A trial status conference was moved from April 11 to April 18.

JOHN BRANDON COX

Elkhart County Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno learned Thursday that a man accused of attempted murder would likely soon be headed toward a resolution in his case.

The judge rescheduled a further proceedings hearing for John Brandon Cox to April 25.

Cox, 35, is accused of shooting a woman in the head in Ox Bow Park Nov. 21 and is facing an attempted murder charge and robbery.

The victim, who remains unnamed, was interviewed by officers at the hospital. There, according to a police affidavit, she told officers that she and Cox had recently met for the first time in person after getting to know each other via Facebook. The victim also told officers that Cox's legal name was "Taylor" although he goes by "Brandon" or "John" as well.

The victim told police that prior to the shooting, the two of them had driven to Ox Bow Park when they got into an argument. During the argument, Cox, according to police, produced a handgun and placed it against her head, calling her an epithet before shooting her in the head, pulling her from the car, and taking her vehicle. Later, she identified Cox from a six-person lineup, the affidavit reads.

The victim also advised that she and Cox had stolen a guitar and sold it to Worldwide Pawn in Elkhart earlier in the day, according to the affidavit. The pawn shop confirmed the sale and the presence of both individuals at 1:32 p.m. on the day of the shooting, court documents reveal.

JA LIAHS M. CURRY

The state has filed a second amended charging information against Ja Liahs Curry, a man charged with murder, during Thursday's Elkhart County Circuit Court proceedings. Curry was also granted a continuance on his jury trial to Dec. 2.

Curry is charged with murder, criminal recklessness firing into a building, and domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon from a shooting Feb. 11, 2023. According to a probable cause affidavit, 911 received the call at 5:16 a.m. Feb. 11 advising that there was a fight outside his apartment and moments later, the caller told officers he heard three gunshots.

Elkhart Police officers were dispatched to North River Landing Apartments, 2301 W. Lexington Ave. At the scene, they found Thomas Johnson, who had been shot and later died at the hospital.

Curry's girlfriend initially told officers that she'd attempted to intervene in a fight involving another man and woman and she fled after being injured, but she eventually admitted that the fight was between her and her boyfriend, Curry, whom she said had kicked, punched, and pistol-whipped her before she escaped, according to court documents.

She told officers that she and Curry got into a fight because he wanted to drive home from a friend's apartment, but she believed he was drunk and refused. Later on, Curry reportedly called the woman to apologize for the battery and told him that he'd gone back to his home and that he knew the incident resulted in a death.

Curry was arrested at his home at 608 1/2 N. Second St., Goshen, at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, hours after the incident.

Curry had several cases that were transferred to the circuit court, and as a result, also has two attorneys. Heidi Cintron is now dividing the cases with public defender Jeffrey Majerik, a total of nine misdemeanor cases and two lower-level felony cases. The second amended charging information was filed on March 19, 2024.

ANTWOINE THOMAS, Jr.

An Elkhart teen charged with attempted murder had his jury trial continued.

Antwoine Thomas, Jr., 16, had a bond hearing Thursday for a Washington Gardens shooting May 3, 2024.

Police responded to the call at 5:48 p.m., but upon arrival found that the victim had already arrived at the emergency room, brought there by Joshua Knapp and Robert Walton.

Police believe that Thomas and an unknown other person staked out the apartment where Mario Hicks lived in the 1300 block of Delaware Street and when Knapp, Walton, and Hicks left in Knapp's car. Hicks, in the back seat, was shot. Hicks was hospitalized for several days, had brain swelling and needed brain surgery to remove the bullet.

Thomas was charged with the attempted murder based on video surveillance, Facebook corresponds, and confirmation from Elkhart High School's resource officer Jason Tripp. Officers said they were familiar with Thomas because they recently finished an investigation into Thomas' involvement in a separate shooting.

Public Defender Theresa M. Heamon told the court that Thomas is expected to be in a boys' school at the Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility until at least August.

The trial was rescheduled to Dec. 2, with a trial status conference scheduled for Nov. 7.

MARVIN VEGA

A man charged with auto theft wasn't able to attend Elkhart County Circuit Court as planned for Thursday.

Marvin Vega, 32, is accused of stealing his ex-girlfriend's car March 10, 2024.

The woman claimed to police around 1:30 a.m. March 10 her blue 2015 Subaru Legacy had been stolen. She suspected that her ex-boyfriend Vega had taken it.

Police were called to the property at 11:15 p.m. March 9, when the woman claimed Vega had been outside her door, refusing to leave, and threatening to harm her and her car. The woman claimed when Vega heard her on the phone with the police, he broke the doorbell and left.

The woman also claimed that while they'd broken up around a year ago, a similar incident happened about once a month. Police inspected the vehicle during their March 9 visit for damages. None were reported, but later, she felt compelled to check on her vehicle again and found it to be missing and called the police back.

The woman said she'd never been too good at keeping track of her spare key, but it had been missing for a while. She suspected Vega had kept it from when they were dating and later used it to take the car.

Police located the vehicle around 4:15 a.m. and conducted a traffic stop on Harrison Street in Elkhart, and Vega was found to be the driver and he'd used the spare key. Police attempted to get a statement but due to language barriers, they were unable to make his statements intelligible, and then when the woman arrived with other officers to pick up the vehicle, he started yelling profanities at her instead of continuing the statement.

Vega had attended through WebEx in the morning prior to his hearing, but when the interpreter left, he was ushered from the video chat room as he apparently was in need of a translator. Later on in the day, his attorney and the judge did hold his status conference without him. Vega will be expected to file written confirmation of his upcoming court dates. Vega also attempted to return to the room later on and learned of the need for an interpreter.

A jury trial is scheduled for June 4.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.