This testimony from a witness in imperial gangsters rico trial

East Chicago councilman tried to buy cocaine in 2006, man testifies
BY TERESA AUCH SCHULTZ tauch@post-trib.com January 22, 2014 10:21PM
Robert Battle now member East Chicago CommCouncil tried buy cocaine 2006 according an admitted drug dealer who testified Wednesday federal
Robert Battle, now a member of the East Chicago Common Council, tried to buy cocaine in 2006, according to an admitted drug dealer who testified Wednesday in federal court. | Provided


The federal trial of an East Chicago man accused of murder and racketeering took a twist Wednesday afternoon when a witness testified that he arranged a cocaine purchase by a man who now serves on the East Chicago Common Council.

Robert Battle, who has since been elected to represent the council’s 3rd District, wanted to buy 3 kilograms of cocaine in 2006, according to testimony by Eddie Torres Jr.


Torres, who has pleaded guilty in the Imperial Gangsters case to racketeering and drug trafficking charges, said Richard Reyes, the sole man in the case standing trial now at U.S. District Court in Hammond, was friends with Battle and sent him to Torres for drugs.

Torres told the jury that he couldn’t get the drug himself, so he arranged for Battle to buy the drugs from people he knew in Chicago.

When Battle arrived with $72,000, however, the dealers robbed him at gunpoint, Torres testified.

Battle could not be reached for comment. Torres’ testimony came under questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nozick, who confirmed for the jury that Battle is now an East Chicago councilman.


Torres said that after Battle was robbed, Reyes approached him, thinking Torres was a part of the robbery, and demanded $20,000 for himself.

Lake County court records show Battle was arrested twice, once in 2000 and once in 2009, on marijuana posession charges. Both charges were dismissed after he went through a diversion program.

Torres also testified about his knowledge of two drug houses that Reyes, 40, robbed in 2002 and 2003. Torres said Reyes gave him a pound of marijuana from the second house, which was in Chicago and belonged to what Torres called the Mexican mafia.

Earlier in the day, Armando Ortega testified about the day Rene Alonzo, who Reyes is accused of killing, died. Ortega said he had been at a Mexican festival earlier that day — Sept. 16, 2007 — when someone who had been hanging with a group of rival Latin Kings members tried to hit him.

Later that evening, Ortega said, Reyes and another man picked him up in his maroon van, and they drove by the bar where they believed the man who hit Ortega was.

He told the jury he just thought they were going to beat the man up.

“I thought it was going to be another fist fight,” he said, adding that he had rolled his sleeves up.

At one point, Ortega said he handed his gun to Reyes but not with the intent for Reyes to shoot anyone and that he was actually reaching for his door handle to get out as they pulled up to the rival gang members. However, Ortega said he saw one of the men on the street show a Latin Kings sign, at which point someone in the van made a derisive comment about the sign. Gunshots went off after that, Ortega said.

“(Reyes) fired about five or six times and then just hit the gas,” Ortega testified.

Ortega did admit that he avoided talking to police after the shooting but said that was because his attorney advised him to. He added he agreed to testify only after federal officials agreed to let him out on bond for a separate case and to recommend he not be sentenced to any more prison time.

The trial is scheduled to continue Thursday morning with more testimony from Torres.

EC councilman accused in drug buy attempt keeps low profile
BY TERESA AUCH SCHULTZ tauch@post-trib.com January 23, 2014 5:26PM


Robert Battle now member East Chicago CommCouncil tried buy cocaine 2006 according an admitted drug dealer who testified Wednesday federal
Robert Battle, now a member of the East Chicago Common Council, tried to buy cocaine in 2006, according to an admitted drug dealer who testified Wednesday in federal court. | Provided

East Chicago City Councilman Robert Battle, accused Wednesday by a federal witness under oath of trying to buy 3 kilograms of cocaine before he was an elected official, appears to have kept a relatively low political profile since taking office in 2012.

Lake County Democratic Party Chairman and Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said Thursday that he had never met Battle.


“He’s not a player whatsoever in Lake County politics,” McDermott said. “I don’t think this has anything whatsoever to do with the party.”

Battle has said little in council meetings since he took over the 3rd District seat in 2012, according to meeting minutes, going months sometimes without commenting in the official record. He has attended almost all meetings, however, and sponsored a few ordinances dealing with various land-use issues.

He reported raising no money on campaign finance records when he ran against Jimmy Ventura, the incumbent at the time, in the 2011 Democratic primary election. Battle defeated Ventura along with two other candidates for the seat. He did not face any opposition in the general election.

That was his second attempt at the seat, after running unsuccessfully in 2007.


Battle’s name unexpectedly came up Wednesday during the trial of East Chicago Imperial Gangsters member Richard Reyes, who is accused of racketeering and killing Rene Alonzo in September 2007.

One of Reyes’ co-defendants, Eddie Torres Jr., testified that Battle, a friend of Reyes, came to him in 2006 to buy 3 kilograms of cocaine, or about 6.6 pounds. Torres didn’t have that much cocaine, however, so he arranged for Battle to buy the drugs from dealers in Chicago for $72,000. When Battle got to the arranged meeting location, Torres said, the dealers instead held him up at gunpoint and robbed him.

Numerous calls to Battle’s phone number went unanswered, and his voicemail was full. He also did not respond to emails asking for comment.

Mayor Anthony Copeland did not respond to a message seeking comment, and other council members could not be reached for comment.

Battle has been a familiar face at Reyes’ trial, sitting with Reyes’ family and friends throughout most of it since it started Jan. 15.

Lake County court records show Battle has had previous run-ins with police on drug issues, including two charges of possessing marijuana, one in 2000 and one in 2009. Both charges were eventually dismissed, however, after he completed diversion programs.

Valparaiso University law professor Bruce Berner said that Battle could not have been charged with possession of cocaine or buying cocaine if the sale was never completed. However, Berner said, if what Torres said could be proven in court, Battle conceivably could be charged with an attempt to possess cocaineor conspiracy.

Torres’ testimony carried more allegations against East Chicago officials.

When Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nozick asked if he had ever sold drugs to East Chicago police officers, he said yes, although he did not name anyone or say when.

East Chicago Police Chief Mark Becker on Thursday said he would not comment on that testimony.