Carterville Woman Charged With Methamphetamine Offense

A Carterville resident was indicted on April 5, 2016, for a methamphetamine offense, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.

Morgan R. Harper, 24, of Carterville, is charged in a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between 2013 and June 2015 in Jackson, Perry, and Randolph Counties. Harper appeared in federal court on April 19, 2016. She was ordered held without bond pending an April 21, detention hearing.

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 methamphetamine offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. The Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.