United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BENTON, Ill. – Eugene Falls, 42, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to 405 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine; attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; distribution of heroin; and money laundering.

Falls was convicted of all charges by a jury on December 2, 2021. The jury also found that Falls had a prior drug conviction that subjected him to an enhanced sentence.

Evidence established during the trial and sentencing hearing demonstrated that from between December 2018 through March 2019, Falls was responsible for receiving or distributing over 19 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of heroin in the Southern District of Illinois, and he laundered drug proceeds to conceal his drug distribution operation. He was arrested in March 2019 during a deal in which he was attempting to receive another 10 pounds of methamphetamine.

Falls was previously convicted in the Southern District of Illinois for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and distribution of cocaine base, and he was still on supervised release for that case at the time he committed these new offenses. At the sentencing hearing, Falls faced a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment as a result of that prior offense. He will be required to serve a new 10-year term of supervised release once he completes this term of imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.