John David Clark, 48, of Harrisburg, Illinois, has been charged in an indictment in United States District Court in Benton with possessing pseudoephedrine with the intent that it be used to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on July 9th, alleged that the offense occurred on June 25, 2013, in Saline County.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
If convicted, Clark faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release to follow his incarceration.
Following a detention hearing held today, Clark was ordered held without bond and was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await further proceedings. Clark’s next scheduled court appearance is September 12th at 9:30 a.m. for a final pretrial conference.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
