Belleville Man Gets 211 Months for Coke & Gun Plot

BELLEVILLE, IL – Martez Moore, 40, formerly of Belleville, Illinois, is headed to federal prison for over 17 years after being sentenced for a sprawling cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Moore received 151 months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine (Count 1), Distribution of Cocaine Base (Counts 3 & 4), and an additional 60 months consecutive for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 2), bringing his total sentence to 211 months. The sentence, handed down March 5, 2015, caps a case that exposed a network reaching from the streets of East St. Louis to a Los Angeles-based drug organization.

The operation, which began to unravel in April 2013, saw Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents go undercover, posing as cocaine distributors. The agent targeted the Metro East St. Louis area, hoping to establish a distribution hub. Moore quickly emerged as a key player, initially meeting with the agent before bringing in a cast of co-conspirators, including Antwone Johnson, Dewayne Hill, Brian Matthews, Bryant Sawyer, Jaren Jamison, and shockingly, former East St. Louis Police Detective Orlando Ward.

Moore didn’t just want to move weight; he demanded security. He brazenly requested the undercover agent to source 10 kilograms of cocaine from the Los Angeles organization, promising to provide armed protection for the delivery and a network of distributors. Johnson was tapped as a distributor, while Matthews, Sawyer, and Jamison were designated as armed muscle. Hill was recruited to watch Moore’s back during the cocaine delivery itself. But the most damning connection? Moore enlisted Ward, an active East St. Louis police detective at the time, to provide inside information and shield the operation from law enforcement scrutiny – a clear abuse of power and a betrayal of public trust.

The investigation revealed Moore’s ambition extended beyond simple street-level dealing. He envisioned a significant operation, relying on both muscle and compromised authority to facilitate the flow of cocaine. The ATF agent’s meetings with Moore culminated in the 10-kilogram request, effectively sealing Moore’s fate. The entire scheme unraveled after Moore attempted to finalize the deal. Moore has been in custody since his arrest on May 7, 2014.

Following his prison term, Moore will face 5 years of supervised release and is required to pay a $400 special assessment. Moore is the last of the defendants to be sentenced, bringing an end to this chapter of Metro East drug trafficking. Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey successfully prosecuted the case, demonstrating a commitment to dismantling these dangerous criminal networks.

This case serves as a stark reminder that drug trafficking often goes hand-in-hand with violence and corruption. The involvement of a law enforcement officer is particularly troubling, highlighting the vulnerability of even those sworn to uphold the law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow federal cases that expose the underbelly of crime in the Midwest and beyond.”