Drug bust in South Bend leads to one arrest, multiple guns and thousands of pills found

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The affidavit from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana has been released regarding the arrest of a South Bend man during a drug bust on Monday, July 2.

Court documents state on Monday, July 1, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Indiana Michael G. Gotsch Sr. issued a search warrant for a residence at 738 S. Bendix Dr. in South Bend.

On Tuesday, July 2, at around 6:05 a.m., members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Indiana State Police, Mishawaka Police Department, South Bend Police Department, and St. Joseph County Police Department executed the search warrant.

According to the documents, authorities knocked loudly on the door several times, before law enforcement agents shouted, " DEA, Police, Search Warrant!” several times prior to entry.

Authorities say they didn't receive a response and manually breached the front door.

Documents state upon entering, law enforcement encountered a man, later identified as Denardo A. McCormack, in the southeast corner bedroom.

Authorities say McCormack was detained, handcuffed, and searched without incident. There was no one else located inside the residence.

Once McCormack was secure and the residence was deemed secure, authorities began a systematic search of the home.

Multiple pieces of evidence were seized resulting from the search.

Items found by authorities:

• A black duffle bag containing one tan Steyr Arms Inc .223 caliber rifle with one magazine containing an unknown amount of .223 caliber ammunition, one brown wooden and black Century Arms .762 caliber rifle, one black M and P Smith and Wesson .22 caliber rifle, one unknown make and model black .223 caliber rifle, and one brown Ruger .22 caliber rifle.
• A closet shelf with a Ruger 57 black 5.7 caliber handgun and another Ruger 57 black 5.7 caliber handgun, reported stolen in South Bend.
• An Amazon Basics safe filled with a large amount of U.S. currency wrapped in bundles with a rubber band and an Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles title for a white BMW X6 SUV titled to McCormack.
• On top of the safe, there were two bundles of an undetermined amount of U.S. currency.
• Two plastic zip lock bags containing approximately 480 grams and 470 grams respectively, of a substance that field tested positive for marijuana.
• In the drawer next to the fridge, they found one loaded black Beretta APX 9mm handgun and one magazine containing an unknown amount of 9mm live ammunition.
• Another black duffle bag was found in the kitchen, filled with one Black Gold Standard Whey protein container containing twenty-two knotted plastic bags containing blue round pills marked with a “female figure” on one side and nothing on the other.
• A digital scale.
• A clear plastic sandwich bag containing a white powder which presumptively tested positive for cocaine and later weighed and determined to have a gross weight of 75.5 grams.
• A clear plastic bag tied in a knot at the end with a white rock-like substance inside which presumptively tested positive for crack cocaine and later weighed and determined to have a gross weight of 27.6 grams.
• One “UPS” package labeled to McCormack.
• A crystal-like substance in the toilet which presumptively tested positive for fentanyl and later weighed and determined to have a gross weight of 170.9 grams.
• One large zip lock plastic bag behind the bathroom door with white residue in it.
• A bill counter.
• One mag pull drum magazine.
• One large pill press.
• One small pill press
• Near the pill presses in the basement, they found four vacuum sealed plastic bags containing an unknown amount of light blue round pills stamped with a “female figure” on one side and nothing on the other side.
• One clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance of unknown weight and test currently.
• One clear plastic bag containing a light blue powder like substance of unknown weight and test currently.

Authorities believe the blue pills to be fentanyl-laced and the number of pills to be in the thousands. The pills were later weighed at a gross weight of 819 grams.

Court documents state, due to the evidence recovered, authorities believe McCormack was likely engaged in the distribution of controlled substances.

McCormack is charged with possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.