Denardo A. McCormack, a 34-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, has been sentenced to 211 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after McCormack pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Court documents indicate that McCormack was manufacturing and packaging methamphetamine pills in a house located in South Bend. On July 2, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence, where they found McCormack alone along with thousands of blue pills containing methamphetamine. Officers also recovered two pill presses, approximately 9.5 pounds of methamphetamine, nine loaded firearms, and more than $26,000 in cash.
“Denardo McCormack in effect converted this house into a drug-trafficking bunker, complete with a nearly ten-pound supply of meth, a ready supply of cash, and an arsenal with which to defend both,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “These are the tools of a dealer with no compunction about putting his entire community in danger. Thankfully, our partners in state, local, and federal law enforcement, working with the excellent prosecutors in our Office, ended this danger by bringing his case to a just result. They should all be commended for their efforts.”
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke commented on the outcome: “The arrest and prosecution of Denardo McCormack should serve as a loud message to anyone in north central Indiana who chooses to sell drugs and commit acts of violence,” he said. “Law enforcement and prosecutors will work tirelessly and with zeal to silence the cruelty and evilness of their ways. The Drug Enforcement Administration and its partners, specifically in the St. Joseph County region, work exceptionally well together. Drug trafficking organizations in the region should know this is not the place to wreak havoc; they will be held accountable for their crimes. Today, Mr. McCormack would suggest the same.”
The investigation involved several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), South Bend Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, Indiana State Police, and St. Joseph County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever prosecuted the case.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates law enforcement efforts across agencies and communities to address violent crime and gun violence while aiming to foster trust between police and residents.
