Seven Rockford Residents Arrested on Federal Drug and Firearm Charges
ROCKFORD —Seven Rockford residents have been arrested by law enforcement officers on federal drug-trafficking and firearm charges.
DEREK D. JACOBS, also known as "Showtime" and "G," 27, and RICO L. TURNER, 27, both of Rockford, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin in Rockford from July through August 2019. The indictment returned last week also charged Jacobs with one count of distribution of heroin and two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and charged Turner with three counts of distribution of fentanyl.
Additional arrests in related cases included:
- MICHAEL A. ALEXANDER, also known as "Big Mike," 43, of Rockford, who was charged with four counts of distribution of cocaine base or "crack," and one count of distribution of crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin.
- RASHOD C. DAVIS, also known as "Rock," 24, of Rockford, who was charged with one count of distribution of heroin and one count of distribution of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin.
- MARCUS I. RAYMOND, 24, TERRAIL HUNTER, 48, and CHARLES DAVIS, 26, all of Rockford, were each charged in separate cases with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Defendants Jacobs, Turner, Alexander, Rashod Davis, and Hunter appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa A. Jensen in federal court in Rockford. Alexander pled not guilty and stipulated to detention. Jacobs, Turner, and Hunter each pled not guilty and remain in custody on the federal charges pending detention hearings. The detention hearings for Jacobs and Turner are scheduled for Feb. 6, 2020, and the detention hearing for Hunter is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2020. Rashod Davis was placed on home incarceration with location monitoring.
The public is reminded that a complaint or an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The conspiracy count against Jacobs and Turner carries a 5-year mandatory minimum and a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment. Each count against Jacobs, Turner, Alexander, and Rashod Davis for distribution of heroin, a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, and crack cocaine carry a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. The charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon against Raymond, Hunter, and Charles Davis carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Federal charges were also announced last week against three Rockford-area residents for alleged drug trafficking.
Holding drug dealers and illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Guardian and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategies. Project Guardian focuses specifically on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes, and it emphasizes the importance of using modern technologies to promote gun crime intelligence. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the Guardian and PSN programs to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Dan O’Shea, Rockford Police Chief. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, and Illinois State Police assisted in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza Tomlinson.
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