Arriba W. Lewis, 43, of Des Plaines, Ill., is facing federal prison time after being indicted on charges of possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, alleges that on January 12, 2017, Lewis possessed approximately 200 grams of heroin—enough to supply hundreds of street doses—on Interstate 55 in McLean County.
Lewis was arraigned in Peoria federal court today, appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley. Already ordered detained by the U.S. Marshals Service, Lewis remains behind bars as the case moves toward trial. The charges stem from a traffic stop conducted by the Illinois State Police, who pulled Lewis over for a routine violation before uncovering the narcotics.
The criminal complaint, filed on January 13, 2017, was supported by an affidavit detailing the traffic stop and subsequent search. Officers allegedly discovered the heroin during a search of Lewis’s vehicle. The evidence formed the basis for the federal indictment, which escalates the case beyond state-level drug possession.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Korn is prosecuting the case, which has been assigned to Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid. Trial is scheduled for April 3, 2017. The investigation was a joint effort between the Illinois State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office.
If convicted, Lewis faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and up to 40 years. However, if prosecutors prove a prior felony drug conviction, the mandatory minimum jumps to ten years—with the potential for a life sentence. The stakes couldn’t be higher as the government moves to lock up a man accused of fueling the region’s opioid crisis.
Despite the serious allegations, federal authorities stress that an indictment is not a conviction. Arriba W. Lewis is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The case now heads toward trial, where evidence will be tested and justice decided—not by headlines, but by facts.
Related Federal Cases
- East St. Louis Woman Gets 30 Months for Heroin Run · Illinois
- East St. Louis Man Gets 5 Years for Heroin Conspiracy · Illinois
- Rockford Men Indicted in $10M Heroin Trafficking Ring · Illinois
- Alfred Vernon Reeves Jr. Sentenced in Heroin Trafficking Case · Illinois
- Phil Trent Gets 25 Years for Heroin Death of Tyler Corzette · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking