United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CHICAGO - Robert J. Bell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Chicago Division, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a Belvidere man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for possessing heroin which he intended to sell.

William Butler, 66, of Belvidere, Illinois, was sentenced in Boone County Circuit Court to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty Aug. 12 to a Class 1 felony count of unlawful sale or delivery of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

“Heroin addiction has led to numerous overdose deaths and has devastated communities in every part of Illinois,” Raoul said. “I am committed to holding individuals accountable for selling and profiting from others’ addiction to this extremely dangerous narcotic. By working in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement agencies, we can ensure that we stop those who seek to distribute heroin in our state.”

Following an investigation conducted by the Rockford Police Department and the DEA, the Attorney General’s office charged Butler and Chad McClellan, 47, of Harvey, Illinois, in 2016 with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. During an investigation that spanned multiple counties, Rockford police and DEA agents prevented McClellan from delivering more than 675 grams of heroin and 320 grams of cocaine to Butler in exchange for more than $35,000. After arresting Butler and McClellan, the Rockford Police Department executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of South Greenview in Rockford, which Butler used to sell drugs. During the search, investigators found 7 grams of heroin that Butler intended to sell.

The Attorney General’s office previously prosecuted McClellan, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to a Class X felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

“The Rockford Police Department appreciates the Attorney General’s prosecution of this case,” said Rockford Police Lt. Jason Bailey. “It was a lengthy investigation that involved multiple agencies and we are happy to see it reach a successful conclusion.”

“Rockford families are safer today, thanks to the partnership between the Rockford Police Department, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and DEA,” said Robert J. Bell, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Division. “DEA will continue to work alongside our criminal justice partners throughout Illinois to investigate and bring to justice drug traffickers who inflict harm upon our communities.”

Assistant Attorney General Andrew Whitfield prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Statewide Grand Jury Bureau.