Three Jacksonville residents facing federal criminal accusations for alleged distribution of meth

By Benjamin Cox on June 22, 2018 at 7:00pm

According to the Department of Justice and United States Attorney for Illinois’s Central District John E. Childress, 40 year old Nathaniel Stone, 32 year old Jeremie Stone, and 27 year old Amber R. Davis were arrested on Wednesday and made their initial appearances in federal court on Friday, after a federal criminal complaint was filed charging all three with alleged possession of, as well as conspiracy and intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Also, as a registered felon, Nathaniel Stone has been charged in the federal complaint with alleged possession of a firearm during the act of, and in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime.

The charges are the result of investigation by the Jacksonville Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Central Illinois Enforcement Group [or CIEG Unit], the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. According to the DOJ, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir is prosecuting the case, which will be presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Hankins.

A federal criminal complaint is not an indictment, which means that a trial is not guaranteed. After the arrest of the three individuals, their appearance in federal court Friday was a required hearing in the event of a federal criminal complaint, which forces the government to demonstrate evidence regarding the case in three parts:

  • PRELIMINARY – probable cause that the offense was committed
  • IDENTITY – a connection of the individual to the charge
  • DETENTION – whether the individual will remain in custody while the case proceeds or go home.

In the process of this hearing, Davis was released on her own recognizance.

Jeremie Stone waived detention and preliminary hearings and is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the DOJ. Nathaniel Stone’s hearings have been continued and will resume on June 27th.

The complaint only lasts for 30 days. If the Government has not officially indicted either of the Stone men within that time frame, both would be released and the charges nullified. The Department of Justice wants to remind the public that these apparent charges are only accusations; each defendant is innocent until proven guilty.