United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BENTON, IL. - Stephen R. Wigginton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that LaToya M. McDaniel, 24, of Murphysboro, IL, was sentenced on February 10, 2010 in United States District Court in Benton, Illinois, to 120 months’ imprisonment, 5 years’ supervised release, and fined $150. McDaniel had previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute Crack cocaine.

Evidence showed the violation took place between May, 2007, and October, 2009, in Jackson and Williamson Counties. Specifically, the factual basis at McDaniel’s change of plea setting established that McDaniel was a “runner” and would routinely obtain crack cocaine for herself and others. McDaniel often obtained crack cocaine from co-conspirator Kenya Ganer for redistribution to (Ganer has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2011). At McDaniel’s sentencing, the district court found that McDaniel was responsible for the distribution of approximately 266 grams of crack cocaine.

The investigation was conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration, and was conducted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (Drugs and Guns) Team Initiative, a cooperative effort of local, state, and federal law enforcement, and state and federal prosecuting authorities, aimed at ridding communities of illegal drugs and guns.