THREE INDICTED IN METHAMPHETAMINE CONSPIRACY

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 2, 2009, GEORGE F. SHANKS, III, age 39, and MICHAEL J. MEDFORD, age 31, both of Fayetteville, Illinois, and CHRISTIAN, L. BROUSSARD, age 35, of Lenzburg, Illinois, were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Benton, Illinois, in a one-count indictment, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. The violation took place between December 2007 and March 2009, in St. Clair, Madison, and Randolph Counties, Illinois.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The offense carries a minimum penalty of 5 to a maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,000,000, and a term of 4 years’ supervised release. SHANKS, MEDFORD, and BROUSSARD made their initial appearances in federal court on June11, 2009. They are being held without bond pending a June 16, 2009, bond hearing.

The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team pursuant to their participation in the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative for the Southern District of Illinois. The goal of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is to remove illegal guns and drugs from our communities. Under the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors are working together to prosecute drug dealers, felons in possession of firearms, and criminals that use firearms to commit violent offenses or drug trafficking offenses in the system that will get them the most time.

The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.