An former East Chicago police officer indicted for selling cocaine entered a not guilty plea during a Monday hearing at the U.S. District Court in Hammond.
According to an indictment filed on Feb. 21, a Grand jury found that Louis Arcuri “did knowingly and intentionally distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a traceable amount of cocaine” on or about June 21, 2021. The indictment wasn’t unsealed until Feb. 29, after Arcuri was taken into custody and had his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin via video teleconference, records said.
Arcuri’s attorney, John Cantrell, on Monday confirmed he’s representing Arcuri but had no further details on the indictment.
During Monday’s hearing, Martin scheduled a three-day jury trial to start on May 6 in U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon’s courtroom, with pretrial motions due April 1, according to the court docket. The detention hearing was continued to March 15.
Arcuri was remanded to U.S. Marshals’ custody after the hearing, records state.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.