Gary Man Sentenced to 192 Months in Prison For Controlled Substance Offenses

HAMMOND- Derek Cast, 48 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Cast was sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. “A drug and gun dealer will spend the next 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for plying his trade of mayhem and poison. On October 2, 2025, the defendant sold just under a pound of methamphetamine to law enforcement. A few weeks later, on October 28, and November 5, 2025, he sold law enforcement 4 semi-automatic pistols and 2 rifles and demonstrated how to use one of the rifles as a fully automatic firearm. He was immediately arrested and law enforcement recovered a firearm from his person. The defendant has multiple felony convictions, including attempted battery involving law enforcement, carrying a handgun without a license, possession of cocaine, and dealing in cocaine, all of which were felonies that disqualified him from possessing any firearm or ammunition, much less selling them along with the methamphetamine. Citizens of our community and nation are safer for the efforts of agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Operation Take Back America,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities .