Alton Man Sentenced to 222 months’ imprisonment for Distribution of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Escape from an Institution, and Conspiracy to Possess Contraband in Prison

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An Alton, Illinois, man, Randy Bull, 41, was sentenced on December 13, 2023, to 222 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to escape from an institution, and conspiracy to possess contraband in prison.

At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that the Bull sold over 72.6 grams of ice methamphetamine in July of 2020. After he was taken into custody, and while detained at the Sangamon County Jail, Bull and three others engaged in a conspiracy to break Bull, and inmate James Russwinkel, out of the county jail by breaking a cell window.

During the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that Bull was responsible, based on his own admissions, for an additional 11,453.12 grams of methamphetamine, along with the 72.6 grams he had sold. Judge Lawless specifically noted that Bull’s long history of violence and the need to protect the community warranted the extended prison term. 

Bull pleaded guilty to both cases on May 25, 2023. He was originally detained as part of the distribution case on August 12, 2020.

The statutory penalties for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine are fifteen years to life imprisonment and a $20,000,000 fine. The statutory penalties for conspiracy to escape and conspiracy to possess contraband are not more than five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Illinois State Police Central Illinois Enforcement Group investigated the defendant’s distribution case. The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office investigated the attempted escape. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Bull is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.