Two Plead Guilty To Heroin Distribution Charges

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Dwayne K. Thompson, 38, of Chicago, IL, and Fetara D. McCarter, 31, of Belleville, IL, entered pleas of guilty this week to charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Attempted Distribution of Heroin. McCarter pled guilty in the United States District Court in East St. Louis, IL on September 3, 2015, and Thompson on September 4, 2015.

At their change of plea hearings, Thompson and McCarter both admitted that they had cooperated to sell heroin in the metro east area during the first half of 2014. A third co-defendant, Ronald G. Murphy, pled guilty on February 3, 2015, to participating in the same heroin distribution scheme.

McCarter’s sentence hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2016 in United States District Court in East St. Louis. Thompson’s sentence hearing is scheduled for January 14, 2016, also in East St. Louis. Both face a possible maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, a term of supervised release of not less than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Robert L. Garrison.