HAMMOND | After spending six months in jail awaiting trial, admitted drug dealer Tariq Wilson walked out of the front door of the Hammond federal courthouse Tuesday a free man.

Wilson, of Chicago, admitted selling numerous packets of heroin to young adult addicts in Northwest Indiana, mainly in Lakes of the Four Seasons and Valparaiso.

However, he denied taking part in the particular distribution conspiracy in which he was charged, and a jury acquitted him.

The same defense did not work for Wilson's co-defendant, admitted dealer Desmond Hardimon, of Chicago Heights, who was convicted by the jury Tuesday and faces 20 years in prison.

Hardimon was disappointed with the verdict and plans to appeal his conviction, defense attorney Jeff Schlesinger said.

Hardimon and Wilson were among 17 people charged with conspiring to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin across state lines.

Five of the defendants were admitted heroin peddlers from Chicago and its suburbs, while the 12 buyers all lived in Northwest Indiana.

Prosecutors said the Hoosier buyers bought in small quantities and distributed to their friends, more than a dozen of whom testified in the trial.

"I'm sure some of the jurors were surprised it could happen in the county in which they lived," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang, who prosecuted the case with Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nozick.

Chang said she was not surprised by the verdict because the evidence against Hardimon was stronger than it was against Wilson.

Neither dealer was charged with simply dealing drugs. Rather, they each faced a single charge of conspiring to distribute a large quantity of heroin, which is more difficult to prove but can result in longer prison terms.