St. Louis Man Indicted On Cocaine Offense

Michael J.W. Bryant, 41, of St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted on June 18, 2013, by a federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The Grand Jury charged Bryant with Unlawful Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The indictment was originally suppressed, but has since been unsealed. Upon conviction, the charged offense carries a possible penalty of twenty (20) years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Bryant was arraigned on July 9, 2013, at which time he was remanded to custody pending a Detention Hearing, which has been scheduled for July12, 2013. Bryant is currently scheduled for jury trial beginning September 9, 2013, in United States District court in East St. Louis.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the Government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Evidence for this indictment was gathered during an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Illinois State Police. This case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Randy G. Massey for prosecution.