EAST ST. LOUIS - An area man is facing series drug charges after a federal grand jury indictment.
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A federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis has indicted Christopher Scott Fry, 47, of Jerseyville, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm while being a user of a controlled substance, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
The court ordered Fry to be detained without bond pending trial after a hearing held today.
Documents filed in the U.S. District Court allege that from March 2016 to September 23, 2016, Fry knowingly conspired with another person to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The documents further allege that Fry, being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly and unlawfully possessed three firearms.
If convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Fry faces a term in prison of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. If convicted of being in possession of a firearm while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, Fry faces a term in prison of up to ten years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the South Central Illinois Drug Task Force (SCIDTF), and the Jersey County Sheriff’s Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers for prosecution.
