Attorney General Todd Rokita

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Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita Ask Federal Court to Lift 20-Year Ban on Historical Monument at Indiana Statehouse 

Attorney General Todd Rokita and Governor Mike Braun announced this week that Indiana has filed a motion in federal court asking to remove a more than 20-year-old injunction that blocks the placement of a donated historical monument on the Indiana Statehouse grounds. 
 

The motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in Indianapolis, seeks relief under a federal rule that allows courts to lift old orders when the law has significantly changed. 
 

The monument—a gift from the Indiana Limestone Institute—displays the Ten Commandments on one large side, the Bill of Rights on the opposite side, and the Preamble to the Indiana Constitution on the smaller sides. A similar monument stood peacefully on the Statehouse lawn for over 30 years until it was vandalized in 1991. 

“The Statehouse grounds feature many monuments and markers celebrating Indiana’s and America’s heritage,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “This monument belongs among them as a reminder of core principles that have guided our nation. After all these years, it’s time to place this historical recognition where Hoosiers and visitors can appreciate its significance in our common story.”

The original injunction was based on a Supreme Court test from 1971 that has since been abrogated. Recent high-court decisions, including one upholding a Ten Commandments display at the Texas Capitol, now evaluate such monuments based on America’s long-standing history and traditions rather than the old standard. 

“This monument reflects foundational texts that have shaped our Nation’s laws, liberties, and civic life for generations,” Governor Mike Braun said. “Given the clear shift in constitutional law and the long history of similar displays across the country, we ask the court to lift this outdated injunction. Restoring this historical monument is about honoring our heritage and who we are as Hoosiers.

The monument remains in Bedford, Indiana, and would be placed near its original intended location if the court grants the  the motion. 

Read the brief here.  

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Attorney General Todd Rokita leads multistate coalition supporting President Trump's policy to record biological sex on U.S. passports 

Attorney General Todd Rokita this week led a coalition of 24 states and the Arizona Legislature in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, supporting the Trump administration's policy of listing biological sex — rather than subjective gender identities — on U.S. passports.  
 

The brief calls for reversal of a district court's preliminary injunction blocking the policy in Ashton Orr, et al. v. Donald J. Trump, et al., arguing that the Constitution permits the government to define "sex" as the objective, biological characteristic of male or female for official documents.  
 

“Passports are official government property, and allowing self-defined entries would create chaos, inconsistency, and endless administrative problems while undermining accurate identification.” Attorney General Rokita said. “Government records must reflect verifiable biological reality — the same standard used for centuries — rather than ever-changing personal perceptions that could lead to unlimited options and unreliable documentation.” 
 

The coalition contends that recording biological sex aligns with centuries of historical practice, dictionary definitions, Supreme Court precedent, and rational government interests in uniform, verifiable records. It notes that subjective gender identities can change and multiply indefinitely, making them unsuitable for official documents like passports. The brief also highlights the U.S. Supreme Court's recent stay of the injunction, signaling the policy's likely constitutionality.  
 

Joining Indiana are the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming, as well as the Arizona Legislature.  
 

The amicus brief is available here. 

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Attorney General Todd Rokita and Team Secure Major Victory for Second Amendment Rights as Court of Appeals Dismisses City of Gary’s Decades-Old Lawsuit Against Firearm Industry

Victory reinforces state authority and protects law-abiding Hoosiers’ access to firearms

Attorney General Todd Rokita today issued the following statement on the Indiana Court of Appeals’ unanimous ruling dismissing the City of Gary’s 26-year-old lawsuit against law-abiding firearm manufacturers and sellers:

“The Indiana Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled in our favor, dismissing the City of Gary's 26-year-old lawsuit against law-abiding firearm manufacturers and sellers.

This decision upholds the General Assembly's legislation that states only the State of Indiana, not individual cities, may pursue such actions against the firearms industry.

This result helps to ensure that firearms remain available to law-abiding citizens, preventing a single city or handful of cities from using lawsuits to force changes to the way they are sold.

Our office will continue defending your constitutional rights and keeping firearms accessible to responsible, law-abiding citizens.”

Solicitor General James Barta, who argued the appeal on behalf of the State, added: “This unanimous ruling confirms the legislature’s clear intent and authority to preempt local governments from bringing these types of lawsuits, ensuring uniform statewide policy and protecting the rights of law-abiding Hoosiers from piecemeal litigation that could restrict access to firearms.”

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Eligible Hoosiers will share an estimated $10.5 million from Google settlement

Attorney General Todd Rokita provides details on what to expect

Attorney General Todd Rokita announced today that eligible Hoosiers can start taking steps to receive their share of approximately $10.5 million coming to Indiana consumers as part of a $700 million national settlement that Attorney General Rokita and other attorneys general reached with Google in 2023 over the company’s alleged anticompetitive conduct with the Google Play Store.

“This is a big win for all Hoosiers and consumers nationwide,” Attorney General Rokita said. “For too long, big tech corporations have leveraged their monopoly power to extract profits at the expense of hardworking Americans. This final settlement, if approved, will put money back in the pockets of those it rightfully belongs to.”

Google has already paid $630 million into a settlement fund, from which restitution will be made to consumers. People eligible for restitution do not have to submit a claim. In most cases, they will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer.

Nonetheless, Attorney General Rokita advised Hoosiers to be proactive.

“All Hoosiers who have or had a Google Play account should visit the settlement website and enter your contact information,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Doing so now will ensure that applicable consumers are notified once the final settlement has been approved by the court and funds start dispersing.”

The settlement website is linked here.

Beyond the $10.5 million in restitution paid to individual Hoosiers, the State of Indiana will also receive an anticipated $1.4 million in penalties paid by Google. Updated calculations will produce more precise monetary figures in the weeks to come.

A bipartisan group of 53 attorneys general sued Google in 2021, alleging that it unlawfully monopolized the markets for Android app distribution and in-app payment processing. Specifically, the states claimed that Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, induced key app developers who might have launched rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices.

Once the settlement has been approved by the court, consumers will receive an email from PayPal or a text from Venmo notifying them of their incoming payment at the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account. If that email address or phone number is also associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then the payment will be made directly to that account. If that email address or phone number does not match an email address or phone number associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then consumers have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to a PayPal or Venmo account at another email address or phone number.

There will be a supplemental claims process after the automatic payments process is complete for consumers who either:

• Do not have an existing PayPal or Venmo account and do not want to sign up for PayPal or Venmo;
• No longer have access to the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account; or
• Were expecting to receive a payment, but did not.

If consumers would like to be notified by email when the supplemental claims process starts, they may submit their name, email address, and mobile phone number on the settlement website.

Consumers who do not want to receive payment from the settlement fund and want to bring their own case against Google must submit a request to be excluded online or in writing by February 19, 2026.
Consumers who want to object to the settlement can file a written objection by February 19, 2026.

The court will hold a hearing on April 30, 2026, to consider whether to approve the settlement. 

The agreement also requires Google to reform its business practices in the following ways:

• Give all developers the ability to allow users to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years.
• Allow developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products for consumers who use alternative, non-Google billing systems for at least five years.
• Permit developers to steer consumers toward alternative, non-Google billing systems by advertising cheaper prices within their apps themselves for at least five years.
• Not enter contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive, pre-loaded app store on a device or home screen for at least five years.
• Allow the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years.
• Revise and reduce the warnings that appear on an Android device if a user attempts to download a third-party app from outside the Google Play Store for at least 5 years.
• Maintain Android system support for third-party app stores, including allowing automatic updates, for four years.
• Not require developers to launch their app catalogs on the Play Store at the same time as they launch on other app stores for at least four years.
• Submit compliance reports to an independent monitor who will ensure that Google is not continuing its anticompetitive conduct for at least 5 years.

For much of this case, the attorneys general litigated alongside Epic Games and Match, two major app developers. Match announced a separate settlement in 2023 while Epic Games took its case to trial. A jury unanimously found that Google’s anticompetitive conduct violated federal antitrust laws. 

Attorneys general from all 50 states participated in this lawsuit — along with attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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Attorney General Todd Rokita attends Trump administration announcement of bold actions to stop sex-rejecting procedures on minors 

New HHS rules echo Hoosier common sense 

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced bold federal actions to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation done in the name of “gender transition.” Attorney General Todd Rokita was one of two state attorneys general attending the announcement in the nation’s capital. 

“We must protect our kids and put an end to these irreversible and harmful experimental procedures that often lead to lifelong regret,” Attorney General Rokita said afterward. “We are blessed to have an administration in the White House fully committed to the same kind of commonsense values that prevail among everyday Hoosiers in Indiana.” 

Secretary Kennedy signed a declaration stating that sex-rejecting treatments on children do not meet professionally recognized standards of health care.  

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced Thursday that his agency would release a notice of proposed rulemaking to prohibit hospitals from performing sex-rejecting procedures on children under age 18 as a condition of participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Under another proposed CMS rule, Medicaid would no longer fund sex-rejecting procedures for minors.

These actions, among others, came a day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would criminalize the act of performing sex-rejecting on minors. 

In Indiana, Attorney General Rokita has prioritized protecting children from these cruel and dangerous procedures. 

In federal court, Attorney General Rokita has strenuously and successfully defended an Indiana law enacted in 2023 that prohibits medical practitioners from providing gender transition procedures to minors, including surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers. 

In 2024, Attorney General Rokita co-led a successful 22-state amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the State of Tennessee’s authority to enforce a law that — similar to Indiana’s — prohibits medical interventions before age 18 intended to alter boys’ or girls’ appearance and physiology so that they resemble members of the opposite sex.  

Also in 2024, Attorney General Rokita and 14 other states successfully sued the Biden administration over a rule transforming a federal prohibition on sex discrimination into one on gender identity discrimination. The rule could have forced medical providers to perform surgeries and administer hormones to both children and adults for the purpose of gender transition. 

A video of Thursday’s announcement is linked here. 

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Protecting children from porn: Attorney General Todd Rokita files lawsuit against websites allegedly violating age verification law

Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing the operators of approximately 50 pornographic websites, alleging they have violated Indiana’s age-verification law and chosen instead to deliberately expose children to their obscene and sexually explicit images and videos.

The content made available to children by the defendants — all of whom are associated with a multinational pornographic conglomerate known as Aylo — includes sexual violence, choking, rape fantasies, sex slavery and sex with teen girls.

“We know for a fact, from years of research, that adolescent exposure to pornography carries severe physical and psychological harms,” Attorney General Rokita said. “It makes boys more likely to perpetrate sexual violence and girls more likely to be sexually victimized. Yet, despite such realities, these defendants seem intent on peddling their pornographic perversions to Hoosier kids.”

In addition to Indiana’s age-verification law, the lawsuit also alleges the defendants violated the state’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act in several ways: 1) by making false and misleading statements regarding the accessibility of the pornographic websites by Indiana residents and 2) by misleading consumers about their alleged hosting of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and Nonconsensual Material (NCM).

The lawsuit is available here. 

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Attorney General Todd Rokita issues statement on Indiana House advancing redistricting bill to the Senate

Attorney General Todd Rokita today issued the following statement:

"Hoosiers deserve to have their say on the issues of the day. Our voices are being drowned out by other states that exploit the redistricting process for their own leftist gains. That needs to stop, if the country is to be saved from the radical Left.

This specific map is legally solid. If any group or individual is silly enough to sue, we will defeat their attack in court.

As the United States Supreme Court emphasized once again last night, redistricting for political reasons is constitutional.

In fact, the Court has said that redistricting belongs in the legislature—in the hands of the people's elected representatives, not judges. And by the way, Rep. Ben Smaltz did a great job with his bill detailing the map.

We can no longer bury our heads in the sand while other states redraw their maps so the Left can destroy what we built over the last 250 years. No more bringing a knife to a gunfight. The Indiana House has acted decisively, and now it's time for the Senate to follow suit."

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Attorney General Todd Rokita’s Litigation Division has achieved favorable outcomes for Hoosier taxpayers in 100% of jury trials in 2025

The Office of the Attorney General’s Litigation Division has achieved favorable outcomes for the State of Indiana in all 13 jury trials it has defended this year — saving taxpayers more than $1 million in those trials. Overall, the division has achieved more than $36 million in taxpayer savings through successful advocacy, motion practice and trials during 2025.

“This team’s impressive achievements in court are a testament to the quality of our public servants in two different ways,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “First, the legal complaints brought against state employees are often retaliatory or meritless but no less damaging. Second, the talent of this office’s litigators means they prevail in their pursuit of justice.”

Attorney General Rokita thanked Chief Counsel of Litigation Patricia Orloff Erdmann for her strong and effective leadership. For her part, Erdmann credited the individuals whose work she oversees.

“This year’s achievements exemplify the unwavering dedication and passionate advocacy of the Office of Attorney General Todd Rokita’s litigation team and partners,” Erdmann said. “These are resolute defenders of the state and its citizens’ vital legal interests, always prepared to fend off legal challenges and fiercely safeguard the taxpayers.”

Attorney General Rokita also recognized the office’s partners in this effort, Lewis & Wilkins and Eichhorn & Eichhorn, who, together with the office’s litigation attorneys, produced these results.

In 11 of the 13 jury trials, the litigation team defended the Indiana Department of Correction. In the other two cases, they defended the Indiana Office of Technology and the Indiana Department of Transportation.

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Attorney General Todd Rokita and Secretary of State Diego Morales secure landmark settlement to safeguard voter rolls, identify illegal votes

Federal records confirm at least 165 non-citizens registered to vote in Indiana — 21 cast ballots

In a major victory for election integrity — made possible by the cooperation of President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice — Attorney General Todd Rokita and Secretary of State Diego Morales today announced the settlement of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that forces the federal government to modernize citizenship verification tools and help prevent non-citizens from voting in elections nationwide.  
 

The agreement, filed last Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, resolves lawsuits brought by Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Iowa to compel DHS to fulfill its statutory obligation to confirm the citizenship and immigration status of individuals in response to requests by state and local governments. Because of Indiana’s leadership and persistence in bringing this lawsuit, the settlement now guarantees every state and territory in America — not just the four plaintiffs — will have access to these modernized federal verification tools for the next 20 years.

Preliminary results from the new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) verification process enshrined in the settlement confirm that at least 165 identified non-citizens have registered to vote in Indiana. Its verification data also helped confirm that at least 21 noncitizens have cast ballots in recent elections.   

“From day one, many individuals dismissed our work as a ‘witch hunt’—but the facts speak for themselves: non-citizen voting is real here in our state, and even one illegal ballot undermines the trust we are told to have in our election processes and even the Republic itself,” said Attorney General Rokita. “This settlement delivers the federal access we’re entitled to under law, allowing the Secretary of State to swiftly remove ineligible voters from the rolls and fortify our system against future risks. Indiana’s elections will be more transparent, fairer and more secure as a result.” 

The settlement follows Attorney General Rokita and Secretary Morales' October 2024 request to USCIS for citizenship verification of over 585,000 Indiana voters who registered to vote without using a state-issued photo identification. After the Biden Administration failed to respond to the request, Attorney General Rokita and Secretary Morales filed suit.  

“As a naturalized citizen, I deeply understand the privilege and responsibility that comes with the right to vote,” said Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales. “This landmark settlement provides Indiana with long-overdue tools to protect the integrity of our elections. Hoosiers deserve absolute confidence that every lawful vote counts and that our voter rolls are accurate and secure. I am grateful for President Trump’s leadership and his administration’s commitment to upholding election integrity.”
 

Under the settlement, DHS has committed to making and preserving critical upgrades to its verification system—known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program— including: 
 

•    Free verification services for all state and local governments; 
•    Integration with the Social Security Administration to allow for verification using full Social Security Numbers (SSNs) or the last four digits of SSNs as identifiers; 
•    Bulk upload capabilities to process verifications efficiently, eliminating the need for one-by-one manual entries; and 
•    Enhanced data outputs, including data identifying supporting documentation that confirms verification results. 
 

These improvements will enable faster, more reliable verification and the settlement ensure USCIS will grant states and localities full use of the improved verification system. 
 

As part of the agreement, Indiana will enter into a new Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) and updated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DHS within 90 days to streamline data exchange.

The new verification process will also help improve voter list maintenance, including by identifying voter registrations linked to deceased individuals. Preliminary data indicates 6,528 voter registrations linked to deceased individuals. That information will be shared with county election officials for cancellation if obituaries can be found based on Indiana Code. Analysis of the verification data provided by USCIS is ongoing.
 

Full details of the settlement are available here. 

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Surpassing $82.5 million,  Attorney General Todd Rokita and team return record-shattering amount of unclaimed property to Hoosiers

Amount returned in 2025 has already eclipsed  previous record from calendar year 2023 — credit goes to great staff and  strong messaging  

Attorney General Todd Rokita announced today that his office has shattered the all-time record for the amount of unclaimed property returned to Hoosiers in a single year. As of this month, the Unclaimed Property Division has delivered more than $82.5 million to rightful owners during 2025 — eclipsing the prior record of $81 million set in 2023.  

“From day one, our team has been laser-focused on getting every possible dollar back to its rightful owner, and breaking our own record just two years later shows what’s possible when we set our minds on a goal,” Attorney General Rokita said. “I’m proud of this milestone, but we’re not done — there’s still plenty of money out there waiting for Hoosiers.”  

Attorney General Rokita commended Unclaimed Property Division Director Amy Hendrix for her leadership and her entire team for this record-breaking achievement.  

“This record is a team victory,” said Hendrix. “We’ve worked extremely hard and reached further than ever to find owners before they even know to look. Every claim processed means real money back in Hoosier hands — and with weeks left in 2025, we’re pushing to return even more.”  

New property is added to IndianaUnclaimed.gov regularly. With nearly a billion dollars waiting to be claimed, Attorney General Rokita encourages everyone to spread the word to friends, family, coworkers, or others.  

Examples of unclaimed property include:    

• Unclaimed wages or commissions   
• Money orders   
• Safe deposit box contents    
• Savings and checking accounts    
• Refunds   
• Overpayments such as:    
• Credit card balances    
• Cell phone bills    
• BMV payments .   

High-value unclaimed property returned to Hoosiers this year:  

• $1,707,790.55 returned to a Hoosier in South Bend; 
• $1,313,287.58 returned to a Hoosier in Goshen;  
• $1,189,791.95 returned to a Hoosier in Indianapolis; 
• $609,571.36 returned to a Hoosier in Valparaiso; 
• $550,106.11 returned to a Hoosier in Auburn; and 
• $503,300.37 returned to a Hoosier in Fishers.  

How to keep your property from going unclaimed:  

• Keep a record of all bank accounts.   
• Cash all checks promptly 
• Change address form with the US Postal Service when moving 
• Open all the mail (in case there is a due diligence letter from the company holding their funds) 
• Record all utility deposits, including telephone, cable, and electricity deposits.  
• Record all stock certificates and be sure to cash all dividends received.   

Visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov or text CLAIM to 46220 to search your name, family or business.   

You can also contact the Unclaimed Property Division at 1-866-462-5246 or updmail@atg.in.gov.   

You may also like and/or follow the Unclaimed Property Division on Facebook.   

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Landlords endangered tenants with uninhabitable conditions at Indy apartments, lawsuit alleges 

Attorney General Todd Rokita files civil action against Lake Castleton Apartments management 

Attorney General Todd Rokita and his Homeowner Protection Unit team have filed a civil lawsuit against the owners and property managers of Lake Castleton Apartments in Indianapolis, alleging that they have systematically failed to repair critical systems such as air conditioning and plumbing. 

Further, the landlords ignored or failed to promptly address over 130 health code citations, the lawsuit alleges, and continued leasing uninhabitable units in violation of state law. 

“We are committed to protecting vulnerable Hoosiers from exploitative practices that threaten their safety and well-being,” Attorney General Rokita said. “All landlords have a legal and moral duty to provide habitable housing, and when they repeatedly fail to do so, my office will hold them accountable. We especially problems with out-of-state landlords.”  

Defendants in this case are Lake Castleton Owner LLC, the property owner, and Pepper Pike Property Management LLC, the property management company. Both are foreign limited liability companies registered with the Indiana Secretary of State. 

The lawsuit alleges they conducted business in Indiana without fulfilling basic landlord obligations. The complex, which consists of approximately 1,261 units across 97 two-story buildings, is located at 7601 Carlton Arms Drive, Indianapolis. It was acquired in March 2022 by Cleveland-based Pepper Pike Capital Partners for a record $171 million — the highest price ever paid for a single apartment property in Indiana at the time.  

Allegations of uninhabitable conditions — including broken air conditioning units, sewage backups, water damage, mold and pest infestations — have been corroborated by actions from the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. Between July 2024 and September 2025, the health department filed approximately 132 ordinance violation cases against the defendants. As of October 24, 2025, 14 of these cases resulted in judgments against Lake Castleton Owner LLC. 

Consumer complaints filed with the Attorney General’s office further detail the harm, with tenants reporting collapsed ceilings, prolonged lack of heat or hot water, unresponsive maintenance, and requests to remove negative reviews in exchange for concessions. Site visits by the Homeowner Protection Unit in April and May 2025 documented severe issues, such as damaged bathtubs and units unfit for habitation. 

On Oct. 3, 2025, an agreed order appointed a receiver for the property in a separate Marion County court action, highlighting the severity of the ongoing problems. 

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants’ conduct violates Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (Ind. Code § 24-5-0.5-1 et seq.) through unfair, abusive, and deceptive acts, including misrepresentations about habitability, as well as systemic violation of landlord-tenant laws under Ind. Code § 32-31-8. The lawsuit primarily aims to secure restitution for affected tenants, including financial losses, as well as injunctive relief to prevent further violations. 

It also seeks civil penalties of up to $5,000 per knowing violation, treble damages for senior consumers and reimbursement of the Attorney General’s investigative costs. If necessary, the state may pursue additional remedies in light of the existing receivership. The lawsuit — which is linked here — also requests a jury trial. 

Hoosiers are encouraged to contact the Office of the Indiana Attorney General about any suspected scams or scam attempts. Consumers can file a complaint by visiting indianaconsumer.com or calling 1-800-382-5516. 

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Attorney General Todd Rokita files lawsuit against IPS for thwarting federal immigration enforcement

America First Policy Institute (AFPI) joins as special counsel, praises Attorney General Rokita’s Leadership 

Attorney General Todd Rokita today filed a lawsuit against Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) for its policies and practices that frustrate federal immigration authorities’ ability to enforce federal law and violate Indiana law.

Attorney General Rokita said IPS currently maintains  policies that frustrate ICE’s ability to do its job by severely limiting ICE’s access to school grounds and prohibiting IPS employees from assisting or sharing information with ICE.

“Sanctuary policies are bad in any context, but they are especially troubling in our schools,” said Attorney General Rokita. “Schools across the country are vulnerable to infiltration by criminal illegal aliens—it's happened in many other states—and it is essential that ICE be able to take action  when that occurs to help keep our kids safe. That’s why my office, with the assistance  of AFPI, is suing IPS to enforce compliance with state law and protect Hoosier schoolchildren.”

In January, IPS staff thwarted ICE’s efforts to deport an illegal alien who had voluntarily agreed to leave the country. Despite Attorney General Rokita’s February warning that IPS must discontinue its unlawful policies or face legal action, IPS has continued to defy Indiana’s anti-sanctuary law.

There are many reasons why school cooperation with federal immigration authorities is critically important. ICE is currently  attempting to locate the nearly 400,000 unaccompanied alien children whom the Biden Administration released into the United States and who are vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers. To do so, ICE requires help from school authorities to  determine whether and where these minors may be enrolled in school. Similarly, it is essential for ICE to have cooperation from schools when criminal illegal aliens, like MS-13 gang members, infiltrate school locations. IPS policies deny ICE that cooperation and assistance,  in flagrant violation of state law.

AFPI, a nonprofit that advances policies putting Americans first, is serving as special counsel in this case.

“Attorney General Rokita is showing exactly the kind of leadership America needs,” said Leigh Ann O’Neill, AFPI’s chief legal affairs officer. “When state attorneys general act boldly to enforce cooperation with federal immigration law, they help protect families, uphold the rule of law, and stop the political gamesmanship that endangers our communities. We’re proud to support this work — and we stand ready to  assist other AGs looking to follow Indiana’s lead.”

Indiana law prohibits local government entities—including school districts—from restricting cooperation with ICE or interfering with federal immigration enforcement.  

“We’re fighting to make sure our schools are places of learning, not lawlessness,” said Attorney General Rokita.  

The complaint is attached  here. 

Watch Attorney General Rokita and AFPI Executive Director Chad Wolf announce the lawsuit in a video  here. 

Rapist and murderer to remain behind bars thanks to Attorney General Todd Rokita’s appeals team 

A murderer and a rapist will remain behind bars after Attorney General Todd Rokita’s legal team secured unanimous victories at the Indiana Court of Appeals, upholding lengthy sentences in two brutal violent crime cases. 

“Our office works tirelessly to keep Hoosiers safe from the worst of the worst—from white-collar fraud to cold-blooded killers,” said Attorney General Todd Rokita. “This rapist and this murderer don’t deserve to walk free, and I’m proud that the appellate court agreed with our arguments to keep them locked up and out of our communities for good.” 
 

Nashawn Stephens was sentenced to 75 years in prison for the 2022 murder of Tychius Derrickson in Mishawaka. Stephens and an accomplice lured Derrickson to an apartment under false pretenses, brutally beat him, dragged him outside, and shot him three times. Stephens claimed insufficient evidence—no eyewitness, no confession, no gun. The Court of Appeals rejected his appeal, finding overwhelming circumstantial evidence—including witness testimony, timing, physical evidence, and Stephens’s post-crime behavior—sufficient to support the jury’s guilty verdict. 

In a separate case, Jorge Juarez Lopez was sentenced to 60 years for breaking into a 17-year-old victim’s home in 2023, holding a knife to her throat, raping her, and threatening to kill her and her sister if she reported the assault. Lopez was convicted of two counts of Level 1 felony rape, two counts of Level 5 felony intimidation, and Class A misdemeanor counterfeit government-issued identification. He argued on appeal that the trial court should have granted a mistrial after the victim had an emotional outburst in court. The Court of Appeals upheld the denial of the mistrial, affirming that the trial judge’s strong admonition to the jury cured any potential prejudice. 

The Attorney General’s Appeals Division represented the State in both cases. Both rulings were unanimous and reinforce Indiana’s commitment to justice for victims of violent crime. 

The appellate decisions are attached here and here. 

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In a significant victory for consumer protection, Attorney General Todd Rokita announced that the State of Indiana has won a judgment against GoGo Travel Consulting LLC, a Jasper-based travel company involved in fraudulent timeshare transactions. The judgment includes the judicial dissolution of the company, effectively ending its operations.

The lawsuit, initially filed by Attorney General Rokita through the Homeowner Protection Unit (HPU) of the Consumer Protection Division, found that GoGo Travel Consulting LLC engaged in illegal deceptive practices, including identity theft and fraudulent timeshare transactions. The company falsely represented itself by using the identity of an Indiana-licensed real estate broker without his knowledge or consent, deceiving consumers into believing they were engaging with a legitimate travel consulting service.

“This judgment is one more example of our ongoing efforts to protect Hoosiers from fraudulent schemes,” said Attorney General Rokita. “We will continue to hold accountable those who engage in these kinds of illegal activities. We encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of timeshare fraud to contact our office immediately.”

The HPU's investigation revealed that the phone number utilized by GoGo Travel, which was spoofed to appear as a number originating from southern Indiana, was linked to two Mexican nationals living in the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta. These individuals were alleged conspirators in the fraudulent scheme.

In addition to the judicial dissolution, the HPU issued two website host takedown notices to ensure that GoGo Travel's website was inoperable and unable to be used in furtherance of the scam. This action was taken to prevent the company from continuing to deceive consumers online.

Attorney General Rokita thanked HPU Section Chief Chase Haller and HPU Investigator Molly Jeffords for their work on this case.

The Attorney General's office is also raising awareness about the broader issue of timeshare fraud, which is often linked to organized crime. According to a joint notice by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), timeshare fraud schemes are frequently perpetrated by Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations. These organizations use the proceeds from such fraud to fund other criminal activities, including drug trafficking and human trafficking.

“Older adults are particularly vulnerable to timeshare scams, which often involve high-pressure sales tactics and bogus claims of having ready buyers for timeshare properties,” Attorney General Rokita added. “Victims are typically asked to pay upfront fees for supposed taxes or closing costs, only to find that the promised transactions never occur.

Hoosiers are encouraged to contact the Office of the Attorney General about any suspected scams or scam attempts. Consumers may file a complaint by visiting indianaconsumer.com or calling 1-800-382-5516.

Attached are several documents relevant to this case.

A headshot of Attorney General Rokita is available for download.

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• Order of Dissolution
• Filing

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Colts legend Jeff Saturday teams up with IndianaUnclaimed.gov to snap missing money back to rightful owners 

Attorney General Todd Rokita welcomes football icon to new role 

Longtime Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, an all-time fan favorite, is helping Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office promote IndianaUnclaimed.gov to Hoosiers statewide. 
 

"Retiring from football means more time for my hobbies, like baking and gardening, and it means watching my spending," Saturday said. "That's why I checked for unclaimed property at Indiana Unclaimed. It's your money, and they want to give it back." 
 

Ads featuring Saturday will air on local radio and TV stations as well as across online digital platforms with a statewide reach. 
 

To view and download a message from Attorney General Rokita and one of the new Jeff Saturday advertisements, click here. 
 

“We want all Hoosiers to check IndianaUnclaimed.gov to see whether they have any cash waiting to be claimed,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We want Hoosiers to get their money back, so turning to a respected hometown hero like Jeff Saturday allows us to kick off our new efforts to promote IndianaUnclaimed.gov. It's time for everybody to get in the game." 
 

Unclaimed property is any financial asset with no activity by its owner for an extended period of time. Examples of potential unclaimed property are: 

• Unclaimed wages or commissions    
• Money orders  
• Safety deposit box contents  
• Savings and checking accounts  
• Refunds  
• Overpayments such as:  
• Credit card balances  
• Cell phone bills 

Attorney General Rokita’s Unclaimed Property Division is currently on a record-setting pace in 2025 for the amount of money reunited with rightful owners in a given year — with more than $77 million already returned so far. 

Be sure to check IndianaUnclaimed.gov or text CLAIM to 46220 to search your name, family, or business. 

In addition to the website, you also may contact the Unclaimed Property Division at 1-866-462-5246 or updmail@atg.in.gov..

A headshot of Attorney General Rokita is available for download.

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