PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois man, Raphael Thompson, 34, of the 1100 block of East Arcadia, has been sentenced consecutively to 66 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 5 grams of methamphetamine and 60 months, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The total sentence of 126 months is to be followed by five years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James Shadid, the United States presented evidence that law enforcement officers investigated Thompson for drug sales and obtained a search warrant for his residence on East Arcadia in Peoria. When officers searched the house, they found a loaded Jimenez Arms .380 caliber handgun with a defaced serial number, 55.6 grams of a substance that was determined to contain 31.1 grams of pure methamphetamine, approximately 5.17 grams of crack cocaine, 30 methamphetamine pills, and a digital scale. Thompson admitted that he possessed the crack cocaine and “molly” pills and had been selling drugs.
Thompson was indicted in March 2022 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He pleaded guilty on May 11, 2022.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine are 5 to 40 years imprisonment and 4 years to life of supervised release. The penalties for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking are 5 years to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, and up to 5 years of supervised release. Fines of up to $250,000 are also possible.
The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Peoria Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States in the prosecution.
The case against Thompson 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.