St. Louis man sentenced for role in metro-east meth ring. A Granite City woman is next.
The second of at least three people involved in a methamphetamine operation in southern Illinois was sentenced last week in federal prison in an East St. Louis courtroom.
Terrence Thompson, 35, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to counts of conspiracy to possess and possess with intent to distribute meth and another count of conspiracy to launder the proceeds.
U.S. District Judge David Dugan sentenced Thompson to 19 years and 6 months in a federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Richard Start, 52, of Hazelwood, Missouri already had been sentenced earlier to 292 months in prison on similar charges with additional counts of conspiracy to manufacture the drug.
A third person involved the operation, Tamara Peoples, 63, of Granite City also has pleaded guilty to charges of possession, distribution and manufacture of a controlled substance. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 30.
According to court records, Thompson and the others conspired to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine beginning in January of 2020. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on Thompson’s residence and recovered more than 10 kilograms of meth.
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 to conceal the nature of their activities, the records state.
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 money or manufacture, distribution and possession of a controlled substance.
The IRS and DEA are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karelia Rajagopal is prosecuting the case.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe said in a statement. “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.”
