Court roundup: E.C. man accused of arson and Gary man acquitted in drug case
An East Chicago man was found not guilty Thursday of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's Gary apartment and setting the stove on fire. Two TVs, a soundbar and Amazon packages were also taken.
It was the second trial for Anthony Gibbs, 32. He was charged with arson and burglary.
He was found guilty at the first trial.
However, the court of appeals overturned it, when it emerged late in the first trial that the detective had a cell phone video recording of hospital surveillance footage from across the street after prosecutors insisted the original footage had been purged.
On Thursday, jurors asked his ex-girlfriend Mokeiva Carter more than 40 written questions — an unusually high number, signaling doubt for the overall case.
Gary Police responded early on March 22, 2021, to the 500 block of Hayes Street.
Deputy Prosecutor Jacquelyn Altpeter, trying the case with co-counsel Keith Anderson told jurors in opening statements that Cobb was the 'suspect since day one' and that Carter discovered a Roku account had been switched to Gibbs' sister after the TV went missing.
Defense lawyer John Cantrell said there was a '45-second gap' in Methodist Hospitals Northlake's footage.
The case was before Judge Salvador Vasquez.
Jurors also acquitted a Gary man Tuesday after police found 17 grams of crack in a car during a traffic stop after he ran from the cops. Deangelo Lewis, 34, the driver, was found not guilty of possession of cocaine.
A Lake County Sheriff's Deputy pulled over a Dodge Charger on Maryland Street in Gary on Oct. 11, 2023.
Lewis ran because he had a warrant. He was arrested near 11th and Delaware Street. Another man and woman were in the car. They are not named in the charging affidavit.
Defense lawyer Kirk Marrie said Wednesday that jurors may have thought it was 'unfair' to pin the drugs on his client when three people were in the car.
Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Dafoe was assigned. The case was before Judge Samuel Cappas. Gary man sentenced to over 5 years for having gun as a felon
A federal judge sentenced a Gary man Tuesday to 68 months in prison for having a gun as a felon.
Antawan Smith, 35, pleaded guilty in February to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He will also serve 12 months on supervised release.
Gary Police arrested Smith after 10 p.m. Feb. 26, 2024 on the 4100 block of W. 23rd Place after women called police to report Smith had pulled a gun during an argument.
Smith was convicted in 2013 of a murder in Cook County, court records state.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Toth prosecuted. Defense lawyer Brian Woodward represented Smith. The case was before Judge Philip Simon in the U.S. District Court in Hammond.
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