The Region News

Tywan Church, 43, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Church received a sentence of 190 months imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release.

According to case documents, law enforcement purchased cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine from Church on three separate occasions in September and October 2022 at the Fort Wayne motel where he resided. A subsequent search of his motel room revealed additional quantities of cocaine base, methamphetamine, fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, other drugs, evidence of drug trafficking activities, and a firearm.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the Indiana State Police and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that unites various levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy aimed at strengthening PSN based on principles such as fostering trust in communities, supporting community-based violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.