Five Quincy Men Indicted on Federal Drug, Gun Charges in Separate Cases

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Five Quincy, Ill., men made their respective initial appearances in federal court this morning on separate, unrelated drug and gun charges. A federal grand jury returned the indictments last week; however, the charges had remained sealed pending the defendants’ arrests and court appearances. Each defendant was given a trial date of April 4, 2017. The defendants charged include the following:

Gerald Knight, 59, of the 1400 block of N. Fifth St.: on Jan. 6, 2017, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm, a 12-gauge shotgun, during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and, possession of a firearm by a felon.

Dantae Knighton, 26, of the 300 block of College St.: on Jan. 13, 2017, possession with intent to distribute marijuana; possession of a firearm, a .380 handgun, during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and, possession of a firearm by a felon.

Conner McGlaughlin, 18, of the 1800 block of Kochs Lane: on Oct. 11, 2016, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm, a .32 caliber revolver, during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.

Tyler McGlaughlin, 23, also of the 1800 block of Kochs Lane: on Oct. 21, 2016, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm, a .32 revolver, during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and, possession of a firearm by a felon.

Caleb Roux, 18, of the 400 block of N. 14^th St.: on Dec. 13, 2016, possession with intent to distribute marijuana; possession of a firearm, a .45 pistol, during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and, possession of a firearm by a felon.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins ordered that Knight and Knighton remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Conner McGlaughlin was released from custody. A detention hearing for Roux is scheduled on Thursday, and on Friday for Tyler McGlaughlin.

The charges against the five defendants were investigated by the West Central Illinois Task Force and the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir is prosecuting the cases.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for each offense charged is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes, as sentencing is determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

For possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Knight faces up to life in prison; for possession of a substance containing methamphetamine, Knight faces up to 30 years in prison. Conner McGlaughlin faces up to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute a substance containing meth; and, Tyler McGlaughlin faces up to 40 years in prison.

If convicted for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, Knighton faces up to five years in prison. Roux faces up to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Each of the defendants is charged with one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum five years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence ordered for the related drug offense. Possession of a firearm by a felon carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.