SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A federal jury returned guilty verdicts on Feb. 23, 2023, against Kelsey Hickman, 31, of Quincy, Ill. for distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. She was acquitted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Sentencing for Hickman has not yet been scheduled.
Over two days of testimony in front of Senior United States District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence establishing that Hickman sold 7.98 grams of methamphetamine in February 2021; she possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; and she illegally possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony in March 2021. Following the trial, Hickman was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
At sentencing, Hickman will face between five and forty years’ imprisonment for the distribution of methamphetamine, up to twenty years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and up to ten years’ imprisonment for illegally possessing the firearm. She also faces up to a lifetime term of supervised release and up to a $5 million fine.
The case investigation was conducted by the Quincy Police Department and the Illinois State Police, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Weir and Nate Bertrand represented the government at trial.
The case against Hickman is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
