PEORIA, Ill. - Qwanell S. Jones, 27, of the 3000 block of Alby Street in Alton, Illinois, was convicted on Nov. 30, 2021, following a two-day trial in Peoria of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled on April 11, 2022, in Urbana, Illinois.
Evidence presented at trial established that on March 12, 2020, the Raymond, Illinois Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Jones in Raymond (approximately 60 miles from Alton) while he was driving a Cadillac car with no valid registration and with a suspended driver’s license. During a search of the car following the stop and a later search of Jones at the county jail, officers located a total of approximately 858 methamphetamine pills in the car and on Jones’ person and a Smith and Wesson, Governor model,.45 Long Colt caliber/.410 gauge revolver that was fully loaded with six rounds of.410 shotgun ammunition and located in the glove compartment of the car along with most of the methamphetamine. Evidence further established that Jones had previously been convicted of three felony offenses in 2011 and 2013 in Madison County, Illinois for attempted armed robbery, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and armed robbery, for which he received sentences of probation and eight years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
At sentencing, Jones faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years imprisonment for the drug offense, up to 10 years of imprisonment for the felon-in-possession offense, and a mandatory consecutive term of 5 years to life imprisonment for the possession of a firearm in the furtherance of the drug trafficking crime offense; a fine of up to $750,000; and a minimum of 6 years to life of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Raymond, Illinois Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass is representing the United States in the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
