Montiya Louis Thomas, 41, of Colton, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis on Aug. 21, 2013, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
The Grand Jury charged Thomas with Unlawful Possession with the Intent to Distribute five kilograms or more of Cocaine. Thomas was originally charged by Criminal Complaint on July 23, 2013. He has been detained (held without bond) in federal custody since a detention hearing, which was held on July 25, 2013. The charge carries a possible penalty of ten (10) years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, at least five (5) years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Arraignment in this matter is currently scheduled for Aug. 23, 2013, in United States District Court in East St. Louis, at which time a trial date will likely be set.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the Government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Evidence for this indictment was gathered during an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Illinois State Police.
This case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Randy G. Massey for prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
