29 Years In Prison For Springfield Man Serving Second Federal Sentence For Cocaine Distribution

Springfield, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Mills last week sentenced Patrick B. Wallace, 44, of Springfield, Ill., to 288 months (24 years) in prison for dealing crack cocaine in late 2011, to be followed by a consecutive 60 months (5 years) sentence for revocation of supervised release.  At the time of the 2011 offense, Wallace remained under supervised release for a prior federal conviction, in 1994, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. 

A jury convicted Wallace on Oct. 16, 2012, for possession with intent to distribute 28 or more grams of crack cocaine in Springfield, Ill., in December 2011.  At trial, the government presented evidence that Wallace was responsible for distribution of substantial quantities of mostly crack cocaine in Springfield.  Evidence was also presented that during execution of a search warrant at a home in the 700 block of N. 14th Street, officers found that the home was equipped with a large privacy fence and an alarm system with outside surveillance cameras.  Inside the home, a 73” flat screen television screen monitored the surveillance cameras.  Officers also recovered one-half kilogram (more than 500 grams) of cocaine and crack, and marijuana, as well as a handgun and $4,300.

In 1994, Wallace was sentenced to 200 months (16 years, 8 months) in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty in the Central District of Illinois to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.  Wallace was released from the Bureau of Prisons in July 2008, and remained under supervised release when he was charged in the second case. 

The investigation was conducted by the Springfield Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass.