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Normal Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Crack Cocaine and Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy
A Normal man has been sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for his role in a crack cocaine and marijuana distribution conspiracy in central Illinois. Richard George Martin, 35, of Normal, was found guilty by a jury in December 2013 of conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 50 kilograms of marijuana from 1999 to 2011.
Martin’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm in a court hearing in Peoria. In addition to his life sentence, Martin was ordered to forfeit more than $120,000 in seized assets. He was remanded to the Illinois Department of Corrections following the hearing.
Martin has at least three prior felony drug convictions in addition to the McLean County case. The case was prosecuted as a result of ‘Operation Prairie Eagle,’ a cooperative investigation targeting distribution of crack cocaine and marijuana in the Bloomington-Normal area.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was led by the Normal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greggory R. Walters is prosecuting the defendants charged as a result of the ‘Prairie Eagle’ investigation.
Since 2011, ‘Operation Prairie Eagle’ has resulted in the conviction of 22 defendants for conspiracy to distribute and the distribution of controlled substances in the Bloomington-Normal area.
The investigation and prosecution of this case is a significant blow to the organized crime rings that have plagued the Bloomington-Normal area for years.
As a result of the investigation, authorities were able to seize over $120,000 in assets, which have been forfeited as part of Martin’s sentence.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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