Alfred Vernon Reeves Jr., 43, of O’Fallon, Illinois, is headed to federal prison for 67 months after being convicted of distributing heroin and participating in a years-long conspiracy to flood communities with the deadly drug. The sentence, handed down in federal court, marks the end of a sprawling investigation into a regional heroin network that stretched from Chicago to the St. Louis metro area.
Reeves was charged in a superseding indictment on December 16, 2015, alongside two co-defendants: Lacy Snead, 52, of Chicago, Ill., and Ciera McNeal, 29, of East St. Louis, Ill. Court records show Reeves sold heroin to a confidential informant on March 5, 2013, a transaction that became a cornerstone of the prosecution’s case. That single sale was not an isolated act, but part of a sustained criminal operation that authorities say spanned three years.
Evidence presented during the investigation revealed that on June 18, 2015, Reeves traveled with Snead and McNeal from Chicago, transporting approximately 150 grams of heroin destined for distribution in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The bust, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, exposed a pipeline that endangered countless lives across state lines.
Ciera McNeal, who admitted to her role in the June 2015 transport, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on October 11, 2016. Her cooperation and lower-level involvement contributed to a reduced sentence, but the court made clear that moving 150 grams of heroin is no small crime. Each gram represents potential addiction, overdose, and devastation.
Lacy Snead, Reeves’ co-conspirator in both the March 5, 2013, sale and the broader conspiracy, pled guilty to both counts on September 19, 2016. He now faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 2017. Prosecutors emphasized the longevity and reach of the conspiracy, arguing for maximum penalties.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, who stated, “Drug traffickers who turn neighborhoods into war zones will be met with the full force of federal law.” Reeves, Snead, and McNeal are the latest in a string of convictions targeting organized heroin distribution in Southern Illinois—a region under siege by the opioid epidemic.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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