A South Bend man that was convicted of kidnapping and extortion back in 2017 has been re-sentenced. A circuit court determined that the initial sentence was not appropriate, vacated it, and remanded him for re-sentencing late last year.
30 year old Derek Fields and two other men were charged with abducting a man and keeping him inside of one of their homes. During that time they demanded ransom from the man’s family, shot him, and eventually left him for dead in an alley. The victim did survive. The new sentence comes in at 43 years for all the charges.
The other two suspects also received multiple decade long sentences.
Below is the full release from the Department of Justice:
SOUTH BEND – Derek Fields, 30, of South Bend, Indiana was re-sentenced before United States District Court Judge Robert Miller, Jr, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch. This re-sentencing was necessary following the Seventh Circuit’s opinion vacating the district court’s previous sentence.
Fields was re-sentenced to 516 months in prison following his trial and subsequent guilty verdict on November 16, 2016 of kidnapping, extortion, felon in possession and using a firearm in a crime of violence. Fields was also ordered to pay restitution of $193,384.98 for lost wages of the victim and medical expenses.
“Crimes of violence, like those committed by Fields, will not be tolerated. As a result of Fields’ conduct, an individual suffered permanent injury. Crime is not victimless. Crime victims deserve to be protected from criminals like Fields, and I am grateful to the law enforcement agents and officers in bringing Fields to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents filed in this case, Fields and his codefendants unlawfully confined or kidnapped an individual against his will and demanded a ransom for that individual from his family. A firearm was discharged, hitting the victim, and caused permanent injuries to the victim. Two co-defendants, Lindani Mzembe and Ivan Brazier were also convicted in separate trials of similar offenses, and were sentenced to 524 months and 444 months respectively.
Fields’ original sentencing was announced in a February of 2017 press release.
This case was prosecuted as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation; South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John M. Maciejczyk and Joel Gabrielse.
