*** MEDIA ADVISORY *** January 12, 2005                                                                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Mendoza Convicted on Methamphetamine Charges MEDIA CONTACT:  Curtis T. Hill, Jr. 296-1888             Following a two day jury trial in the Elkhart Circuit Court, a jury deliberated just over two hours before finding Jose Mendoza, of Goshen, guilty of the offense of Delivery of Methamphetamine in Excess of Three Grams, a Class A felony.  Judge Terry Shewmaker has scheduled sentencing in the case for January 27, 2005 and Mendoza faces a maximum sentence of fifty (50) years at the Indiana Department of Corrections.The case against Mendoza was unique in that Mendoza did not personally deliver the methamphetamine but had another individual make the delivery after Mendoza made all of the arrangements.  While Mendoza argued at trial that he was not involved with the delivery of the nearly one pound of methamphetamine, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Denise Robinson presented evidence that Mendoza was the contact person for the transaction and thereafter played an integral role in arranging for the actual delivery of the methamphetamine which occurred under the surveillance of members of the Goshen Drug Unit and the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit.    Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney Curtis Hill, Jr. praised the cooperative efforts of the Goshen Police Department and his office.  “Once again, this case illustrates the necessity for a coordinated law enforcement effort in narcotics investigations.  It is only through the combined response of the local police departments and the Prosecutor Office’s Drug Enforcement Unit that drug dealers such as Mendoza can be arrested and successfully prosecuted.  I would like to commend all officers involved for their commitment to bringing this case to a successful conclusion”Mendoza also faces an unrelated methamphetamine charge in federal court in South Bend, Indiana which is currently set for trial in February.