Three Jackson County Men Charged With Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Three Jackson County, Illinois, residents were indicted on May 9, 2013, and charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

On May 13, 2013, and May 14, 2013, Donald Gregory, 47, and Jaben Graff, 35, both of Murphysboro, and Daniel Loden, 30, of Grand Tower, were arraigned in United States District Court in Benton on the charge. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between March 2011 and March 2013 in Jackson County. At a May 16, 2013, detention hearing, Gregory and Graff were ordered held without bond pending a July 15, 2013, jury trial. Loden was released on bond.

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.

If convicted, Gregory, Graff, and Loden face a term of a minimum of 5, but not more than 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine, and 4 years of supervised release.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Murphysboro Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson.