Derrick Phillips, Heroin Trafficking, Illinois 2023

Quincy, IL – In a major blow to the city’s illicit drug trade, Derrick Phillips, 42, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a substance containing heroin.

Phillips was arrested in March 2019 and pleaded guilty in December 2022. He has been detained by the United States Marshals Service since his arrest.

According to federal authorities, in October 2017, Phillips was detained after getting off an Amtrak train that had just arrived in Quincy from the Chicago area. Law enforcement then discovered almost two hundred grams of heroin and $730.00 in cash on his person.

With a previous federal conviction for distributing controlled substances, Phillips faced harsher penalties for his latest crime. Under federal law, the statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a substance containing heroin were not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, not more than an $8,000,000 fine, and not less than eight years of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; West Central Illinois Task Force; and Quincy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Phillips is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Phillips’s sentence is a stark reminder of the consequences of engaging in illicit drug trafficking. As the city continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic, residents can take comfort in knowing that law enforcement is committed to holding those responsible accountable.

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