United States of America v. Ralph Thompson

Springfield, Illinois criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with being a Distributing Heroin Mixed with Fentanyl.

Quincy, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 162 Months for Distributing Heroin Mixed with Fentanyl

A Quincy, Illinois, man, Ralph Thompson, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 150 months in prison for distributing heroin that also contained fentanyl. He received an additional 12 months for committing the new offense while he was on supervised release for a prior federal drug offense, for a total of 162 months.



Thompson was indicted on November 15, 2022, and pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023. He has been detained by the United States Marshals Service since his arrest in November of 2022. This is Thompson's third federal drug conviction. Thompson has state convictions for possession of a controlled substance and for being a felon in possession of a weapon. The evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that Thompson was selling heroin containing fentanyl in Moline, Rock Island and Quincy. In total, he was held accountable for 100 grams of heroin and 35 grams of fentanyl.



The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to 40 years' imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.



This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, the Moline Police Department, the Rock Island Police Department, and the Quincy Police Department with assistance from the Adams County States Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.



The case against Thompson is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 162 months in prison