Gerald Tanner, Oxycodone and Methadone Distribution Conspiracy, IL …

Gerald Tanner, 56, of Collinsville, Illinois, was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and methadone, both classified as Schedule II narcotics. The sentence, handed down in the Southern District of Illinois, marks the end of a years-long investigation into a regional drug network feeding the opioid epidemic.

The charges stem from a November 18, 2015, federal grand jury indictment that implicated three St. Clair County residents in a coordinated effort to flood the Southern District with prescription painkillers. Evidence presented in court revealed that Tanner operated out of his home, using a supply chain that relied on middlemen to distribute the highly addictive drugs into the community.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s St. Louis Division launched the probe after receiving credible intelligence on illegal narcotics activity. Agents deployed a confidential source who successfully purchased oxycodone and methadone directly from Ryan Koch and Lisa-Marie Sue Ketterer—both of St. Clair County. Investigators established that Tanner was the source supplying both individuals, who in turn resold portions of the drugs and used the rest.

Koch, 34, and Ketterer, 26, were previously prosecuted and sentenced in federal court for their roles in the conspiracy. Their cooperation and the chain of transactions uncovered by the DEA helped solidify the case against Tanner, who ultimately faced justice for his central role in the distribution ring.

Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, emphasized the broader impact of such crimes: “There has been a national proliferation of opiate drug abuse. Sales of opioid pain relievers quadrupled between 1999 and 2010. And that proliferation has correlated strongly with an increase in heroin abuse and drug-related deaths. Opiates are causing tremendous damage in our community and the United States Attorney’s office will continue to fight the distribution of drugs that endanger public safety.”

The investigation was conducted by Diversion Investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft prosecuted the case, underscoring federal resolve to dismantle drug networks operating in Southern Illinois. The sentencing serves as another hard blow against the underground opioid economy fueling addiction and violence across the region.