U.S. Department
of Justice
East St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Charge
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that on July 9, 2014, Edward A. Banks, 42, pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On July 11, 2013, Banks sold cocaine to undercover law enforcement agents. Banks also gave the undercover agents his telephone number in order for them to contact him if they wanted to make future purchases. The agents contacted Banks the same day and bought more cocaine from him. Both transactions were recorded on video.
Banks is scheduled for sentencing on October 17, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000,000, not less than 3 years of supervised release following his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI) and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong.