Violence, drug trafficking in Indianapolis lead to more federal involvement

The severity of the situation became obvious from the moment officials began speaking — this was no ordinary drug bust.

Acting U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler rattled off a series of eye-popping numbers during the March 26 announcement: $4 million in cash; 25 kilograms of cocaine; enough heroin for a user to shoot up 100,000 times.

But it wasn't just the quantity of drugs that made this bust unique. Federal prosecutors say the dealers at the center of the case were getting their supply directly from the Mexican border with a single stop in Phoenix — a sign that Indianapolis is becoming a major Midwest drug distribution hub, which may be fueling violent crime.

In recent years, the city has seen the number of criminal homicides escalate, from 96 in 2012 to 135 last year. The number of suspects and victims with criminal pasts in those cases also has increased, according to Department of Public Safety data.

In a desire to stem the violence, local and federal officials are using crime-fighting tactics not often seen outside the nation's largest cities. One example of the change is a decision by the FBI last fall to beef up its Indianapolis office. The bureau would not disclose how many agents are working here but said it split its division in two, one covering violent crime, and another covering gangs.

Kevin Lyons, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Indianapolis office, said the split is akin to those seen in Chicago and New York.

"It's unique to this division because we're not the same size as those divisions," Lyons said. "Because of the violent crime issues that have been happening in the past year and a half, past year, it's why our FBI headquarters was saying, 'Yeah, you guys, you justify needing the additional squad to handle this problem.' "

Public Safety Director Troy Riggs called the city's additional federal resources a proactive step toward mitigating issues of violence by hitting criminals with tougher federal laws.

"It far exceeds any relationship that I've ever had with the FBI," said Riggs, a 25-year law enforcement veteran. "They are taking this seriously."

Local and federal prosecutors say they're prioritizing violent crimes. Local policing agencies, including the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, are digging in, too.

Last October, IMPD and the Department of Public Safety said they would target six hot spots they say are the most dangerous in Indianapolis.

Interagency teamwork

The drug operation broken up last month started with investigations by local police detectives, Minkler said. The fruits of those efforts were initially seen in January 2014, when IMPD announced it had busted a large drug trafficking ring in the Butler-Tarkington area during a probe called "Operation Family Ties."

Eleven of the people arrested during that investigation were eventually charged in federal court, and the bust led detectives to identify Geraldo Colon, the alleged ringleader arrested last month, as "a major target." By bringing the case to federal court, officials are able to pursue harsher punishments — in this case, Colon faces 10 years to life in prison on a charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.

"This wasn't an FBI case, but I certainly think it shows that we have a more collaborative relationship with IMPD," Minkler said. "The nice thing with this relationship with IMPD is we can take their investigations, because they're on the streets, they see what's going on, they find out about it, they bring it to us and we can take it to another level."

Riggs pointed to what he called a concerning trend — 92 percent of homicide suspects and 81 percent of victims last year had a criminal history. In 2012, those rates were 70 percent and 73 percent, respectively.

The hope is that federal prosecutors can lock up career criminals for longer periods.

"It's our biggest city, the center of commerce, and public safety is a huge issue here," Minkler said. "I think all the federal agencies have prioritized — and our office has prioritized — working with IMPD as closely as possible to specifically address acute problems with violence, drug distribution (and) firearms possession that we see here in Indianapolis."

Gangs not widespread

Despite the creation of two FBI units, one for violence and one for gangs, Riggs and IMPD Chief Rick Hite said that Indianapolis does not have a widespread gang problem.

And there is evidence that, across the city, violence is not skyrocketing.

Although last year's criminal homicide rate was the highest since 2006, Riggs said the number of nonfatal shooting victims has dropped. In 2012, there were 472, compared with 409 last year.

"We are in a better situation than we were in 2012, quite frankly," Riggs said. But he said the city still has work to do, especially in those hot spots, which account for 4.7 percent of the city's population and 27 percent of the homicides.

Those homicide numbers alone are enough to make Indianapolis a priority for federal officials, said Tim Horty, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.

"The yardstick by which almost every city is measured is that homicide rate," Horty said. "I'm not sure it's the most fair way, but it is the standard, and for that, you have to sit up and take notice."

Call Star reporter Jill Disis at (317) 444-6137. Follow her on Twitter: @jdisis.