California Man Charged with Heroin Possession

On October 6, 2015, Conrad Valdez, Jr., 45, of Selma, California, was charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

The offense occurred on September 27, 2015, in Effingham County. Valdez made his initial appearance in federal court on October 15, 2015. He was ordered held without bond pending a December 21, 2015, jury trial.

The heroin offense carries a penalty of a minimum of 10 years, to a maximum of life in federal prison, to be followed by at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

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 ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Central Illinois Enforcement Group and Illinois State Police. The Effingham County State’s Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.

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