Two Chicago-Area Men Convicted in Federal Drug Investigation

 Posted on September 19, 2022 in Federal Crimes

When you think of “getting busted” for the possession or distribution of drugs, you might think of a local police officer happening to stumble upon a “drug buy” and arresting the parties involved. Or maybe, the cops were called to an area where a loud party was disturbing neighbors, and the police found several people in possession of illegal drugs.

While these scenarios can and do occur, other arrests and subsequent prosecutions are the results of lengthy investigations by state and federal law enforcement agencies. In such cases, it is not unusual for those arrested to face many years behind bars if they are convicted. Last month, two Chicago area men learned this lesson the hard way when they were convicted for their roles in bringing illegal drugs to Chicago from Mexico.

Disrupting the Drug Pipeline

According to court documents and information released by the U.S. Department of Justice, two men from suburban Chicago were found guilty of federal drug conspiracy charges last month after a week-long trial in federal court in Chicago. Each man now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison with a maximum of life in prison. One of the men was also convicted on a federal drug possession charge, making his mandatory minimum sentence 15 years with a maximum of life in prison.

The Justice Department reports that the men were a part of a drug pipeline that brought cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from Mexico into the Chicago area. Court records indicate that, in 2019, the men worked with a Mexican supplier and two prison inmates in Texas to get the drugs to Northern Illinois. Packages that included the drugs were sent from Arizona and California to Morton Grove and Evanston, Illinois, to be sold on the streets of greater Chicago.

The arrests and prosecutions were made as part of an investigation by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force—a cooperative, multi-agency effort that is led by federal prosecutors and relies on assistance from other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Facing Federal Drug Charges? A Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help

If you are facing charges related to federal drug crimes or you have reasons to believe that you are simply being investigated regarding such activity, it is important to reach out to an experienced Chicago federal drug charge defense attorney right away. There is a good chance that federal investigators have collected substantial evidence before you even realize an investigation was taking place, so you must act quickly. Call 312-629-0669 to schedule a free, confidential consultation today.

Sources:

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2022/08/09/two-surburban-chicago-men-convicted-federal-investigation-dismantled

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/suburban-chicago-men-convicted-in-mexico-to-chicago-drug-pipeline