Five Quincy Men Indicted on Federal Drug, Gun Charges

Gerald Knight, 59, of the 1400 block of N. Fifth St., Quincy, Ill., was hit with a federal indictment on Jan. 6, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a 12-gauge shotgun during a drug trafficking offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges, unsealed last week, mark the latest blow in a string of drug-related arrests tearing through the city.

Dantae Knighton, 26, from the 300 block of College St., Quincy, faces similar charges after an arrest on Jan. 13, 2017. He is accused of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, carrying a .380 handgun in connection with the drug offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins ordered Knighton held without bond, citing flight risk and public safety concerns.

Conner McGlaughlin, 18, and Tyler McGlaughlin, 23, both from the 1800 block of Kochs Lane, were charged in separate October 2016 incidents involving methamphetamine and firearms. Conner was arrested on Oct. 11, 2016, for possession with intent to distribute meth and having a .32 caliber revolver on hand during the offense. Tyler, arrested Oct. 21, 2016, faces the same charges plus being a felon in possession of a firearm. Conner McGlaughlin was released pending trial; Tyler’s detention hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Caleb Roux, 18, of the 400 block of N. 14th St., Quincy, was charged on Dec. 13, 2016, with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, carrying a .45 pistol during the drug offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. His detention hearing is set for Thursday as federal prosecutors push to keep him behind bars before trial.

If convicted, Gerald Knight faces up to life in prison for the meth charge. Conner McGlaughlin could get up to 20 years, while Tyler McGlaughlin faces up to 40 years. Knighton faces up to five years for the marijuana charge; Roux faces up to 10. All five are charged with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense—each carrying a mandatory minimum five years, tacked on consecutively. Felon-in-possession charges bring up to 10 years each.

The cases were investigated by the West Central Illinois Task Force and Quincy Police Department, and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir. A federal grand jury returned the sealed indictments last week; trial dates for all defendants are set for April 4, 2017. As always, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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