Ethan K. Doud, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Illinois 2019

Three men from Flora, Illinois, are staring down federal prison time after a grand jury indicted them on multiple counts of methamphetamine trafficking. Ethan K. Doud, 28, Bradley A. Caudle, 30, and Justin A. Schofield, 37, stand accused of running a crystal meth distribution ring that pumped at least 50 grams of “ice” into Clay County and surrounding areas for more than a year.

The indictment, unsealed today by U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois, alleges the conspiracy spanned from the fall of 2017 through late January 2019. During that time, the trio allegedly worked together to distribute large quantities of meth, fueling addiction and endangering communities across southeastern Illinois.

Doud faces an additional charge for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal meth on January 6, 2019—a standalone count that could stack another decade to life on top of the conspiracy charge. Meanwhile, Schofield is named in five counts, including four separate meth distributions in 2018 and a possession charge from October 22, 2018.

If convicted, all three face a minimum of 10 years and up to life behind bars. Each conspiracy count carries a potential $10,000,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release. For Schofield, the individual counts could add up to 20 years each—100 years total—and a $1,000,000 fine per count.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the takedown include the Flora Police Department, the Clay County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force. Their joint investigation peeled back layers of secrecy to expose a network that authorities say operated under the radar for too long.

As this case moves toward trial, federal prosecutors remind the public that an indictment is not a conviction. Under American law, Ethan K. Doud, Bradley A. Caudle, and Justin A. Schofield are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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