Lucas L. Holland, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, IL 2017

Lucas L. Holland, 31, of Desoto, Illinois, is headed to federal prison for 188 months after being sentenced on February 7, 2017, for his role in a widespread methamphetamine conspiracy that poisoned communities across Jackson and Perry Counties.

Holland pleaded guilty to a second superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. At sentencing, prosecutors proved he was a key player in a network that cooked and sold high-purity meth—known on the street as ‘ice’—a form of the drug with at least 80% purity, capable of inflicting maximum damage on users and neighborhoods.

Court evidence showed Holland distributed 1.68 kilograms of ice and possessed 44.4 grams of pseudoephedrine, a critical ingredient in meth production. The judge added three years of supervised release and slapped him with a $600 fine—pocket change compared to the destruction he helped unleash.

The investigation peeled back layers of a regional drug operation. Two co-defendants have already been sentenced. Three others have pled guilty and await their day in court. One defendant continues to fight the charges, with a jury trial set for February 27, 2017.

Local law enforcement bore the brunt of the operation. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Murphysboro Police Department led the charge, with critical support from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, DuQuoin Police Department, Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, and Jackson County States Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Donald S. Boyce made the announcement, underscoring the federal commitment to dismantling drug networks. ‘This sentence sends a clear message,’ Boyce stated. ‘Those who profit from addiction will pay with years behind bars.’ Holland now has plenty of time to reflect—15 years and 8 months worth.

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