Steven Syms, Cocaine Conspiracy, Illinois 2015

Two St. Louis area men, Steven Syms and Antoine Jenkins, have been brought to justice for their involvement in a cocaine distribution organization that funneled the illicit substance from Houston, Texas, to the St. Louis metro area.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, Syms, 41, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Jenkins, 27, of Cahokia, Illinois, were sentenced on September 18, 2015 for their roles in the conspiracy.

Syms, a leading co-conspirator, was sentenced to 151 months in prison, 5 years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $100 special assessment. Jenkins was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 3 years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 fine and a $100 special assessment.

Jenkins’ 27-month sentence was ordered to run consecutive (in addition) to a previously imposed sentence of 308 months for kidnapping and using or carrying a firearm during or in relation to kidnapping.

To date, ten other members of the drug trafficking organization have been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the conspiracy.

The evidence presented against Syms and Jenkins was obtained through an investigation conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target, and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura V. Reppert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Drucker.

The sentencing of Syms and Jenkins marks another significant victory in the ongoing efforts to combat the illicit drug trade in the St. Louis region. As the investigation continues, more arrests and convictions are expected in the coming months.

The full details of the case and the sentencing can be found in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois press release.

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