On April 4, 2017, two Randolph County residents were charged with a methamphetamine offense, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
Rodney V. Howie, 47, of Tilden, and Jordan P. Leggans, 29, of Sparta, were charged in a one-count superseding indictment charging conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between 2015 and February 2017, in Perry, Randolph, Monroe, and St. Clair Counties. On April 10, 2017, Howie and Leggans made their initial appearances in federal court. They were ordered held without bond pending an April 13, 2017, detention hearing.
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.
The methamphetamine offense carries a maximum penalty of 5-40 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph County States Attorney’s Office and the Monroe County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
