Federal Drug Trafficking Charges Filed Against 3 Flora, Illinois Men

Three men from Flora, Illinois, have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with methamphetamine-related offenses, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.

Ethan K. Doud, 28, Bradley A. Caudle, 30, and Justin A. Schofield, 37, are accused of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine (known as "ice") in Clay County and elsewhere. According to the indictment, the conspiracy operated from the fall of 2017 until late January, 2019. Doud is also charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine on January 6, 2019. Elsewhere in the seven-count indictment, Schofield is charged with distributing methamphetamine on four separate dates in 2018 and with possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine on October 22, 2018.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely 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.

If convicted, the conspiracy count exposes all three defendants to a possible punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and supervised release of not less than five years. Doud’s additional charge carries the same penalties, while Schofield could receive as much as 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine on each of the five additional counts in which he is named.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Flora Police Department, the Clay County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force.