EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Illinois, Southern), published as received.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A St. Louis man was sentenced to 235 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons after admitting to his involvement in a methamphetamine operation in southern Illinois.
Terrence Thompson, 35, pled guilty to one count of Attempt and Conspiracy and one count of Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. Following his prison sentence, Thompson will have five years of supervised release. He was fined $750 and $200 in special assessments. In addition, the federal indictment lists seven other defendants for their alleged involvement.
“Methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics are poisoning our families and communities, and individuals responsible for its distribution will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Southern Illinois is a transportation hub with major interstate highway systems, and law enforcement play a key role in detecting and disrupting the flow of methamphetamine across the country. This case demonstrates how seriously we all take this responsibility.”
“The length of the sentence in this case speaks to the importance of disrupting drug trafficking organizations to stop the harm they do to our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Murdock, IRS-CI’s St. Louis Field Office. “IRS-CI is committed to supporting our law enforcement partners by following the money trail of these ill-gotten gains to help bring these criminals to justice.”
“Drug traffickers engage in their illicit activities for one reason: to make money,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean Vickers, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in southern Illinois. “A critical element in shutting down criminal drug trafficking organizations is making sure they don’t benefit from their illegal business. This nearly 20-year sentence demonstrates that DEA and its local and federal partners are dedicated to putting these criminals out of business.”
Co-defendant Richard Stark, 52, of Hazelwood, Missouri, pled guilty to one count of Attempt and Conspiracy and one count of Manufacture, Distribute, Dispense, Possess a Controlled Substance. In July 2022, Stark was sentenced to 292 months in the BOP and will have five years of supervised release. He was fined $500 and paid $200 in special assessments.
Tamara Peoples, 63, of Granite City, Illinois, pled guilty to one count of Attempt and Conspiracy and one count of Manufacture, Distribute, Dispense, Possess a Controlled Substance. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 30, 2023.
According to court records, Thompson conspired with the co-defendants to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Illinois. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on Thompson’s residence and recovered more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine.
In addition, members of the conspiracy utilized various payment methods to deal the illegal narcotics including CashApp, cashier’s checks, bank transfers and postal money orders.
The federal indictment also lists Neyisha Anderson, Corey Hendriex, Thomas Hines, Amy Lynch and Terrell Winston for their alleged involvement. Each are facing charges ranging from Attempt and Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments and/or Manufacture, Distribute, Dispense, Possess a Controlled Substance.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, the defendant is presumed to be innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The IRS and DEA are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karelia Rajagopal is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. More information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
