CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WOMAN SENTENCED ON HEROIN DISTRIBUTION CHARGES

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 13, 2009, GENESIS M. EFFINGER, age 19, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Benton, Illinois. EFFINGER was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment, fined $200, and placed on 4 years supervised release.

EFFINGER had previously pleaded guilty to one count in a federal indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute heroin. The amount of heroin involved in the conspiracy was one hundred (100) grams or more.

One co-defendant was previously sentenced to 135 months imprisonment. The other three co-defendants have pleaded guilty and all await sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois State Police, the Centralia Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration pursuant to their participation in the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a joint and cooperative effort of the United States Attorney’s Office, and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies directed at removing guns and drugs from our communities. The Marion County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted during the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.