Fifteen Charged in Mt.Vernon Drug Ring

Fifteen men who allegedly participated in a drug trafficking ring in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, have

been indicted on federal methamphetamine-related charges, Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for

the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. The seven-count indictment was returned on Oct.

24, 2019, and accuses the following men of engaging in a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more

of methamphetamine in Jefferson County, Illinois:

•    David D. Hunt, 28, of Dayton, Ohio

•    Trevon M. Taylor, 35, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Dedrick R. Bell, 41, of Bluford, IL

•    Chalar L. Taylor, 25, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Major J. Monroe, 45, of Marion, IL

•    Carlos D. Knox, 48, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Korey B. Alexander, 35, of Centralia, IL

•    Myron T. Seigart, 32, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Brandon N. Barnett, 35, of Bloomington, IN

•    Jhytrenton C. Ladd, 27, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Keith Peoples, Jr., 33, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Nathaniel Nesbit, Jr., 34, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Terry M. Turner, 39, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Cortez E. Davis, 40, of Mt. Vernon, IL

•    Terwin L. Morgan, 38, of Mt. Vernon, IL

The charged conspiracy allegedly ran from June 2018 through September 2019. If convicted of the

conspiracy charge, all 15 defendants face 10 years to life imprisonment, up to  a

$10 million fine, and supervised release of not less than 5 years.

Hunt and Bell are also charged separately with knowingly and intentionally possessing with the

intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on various dates, while Knox is accused of

distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on one occasion in February 2019. The indictment

further alleges that on separate occasions during the timeframe charged   in

the  conspiracy,   Monroe  and   Turner  each   knowingly  distributed   5   grams   or   more   of

methamphetamine.

The additional charges against Hunt, Bell, and Knox are each punishable by 10 years to life

imprisonment, up to a $10 million fine, and supervised release of not less than 5 years. For their

individual counts, Monroe and Turner both face 5 to 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to

$5 million, and supervised release of not less than 4 years.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be

innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mt. Vernon

Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, the

United States Marshal Service, the Marion Police Department, and the FBI.