Chicago Man Convicted of Drug and Firearm Offenses

URBANA, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on May 5, 2023, against Tyrone L. Fulwiley, 40, of the 12900 block of South Sangamon Street in Chicago, for possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. Sentencing for Fulwiley has been scheduled on September 11, 2023, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.

Over four days of testimony, the government presented evidence establishing that Fulwiley and his co-defendant, Deandre Maxwell, possessed over 630 grams of cocaine inside a shared apartment on Plymouth Drive in Champaign, Illinois, which was packaged and intended for distribution. Also inside the shared apartment, Fulwiley and Maxwell possessed two untraceable “ghost guns,” despite both men being convicted felons. Those firearms had a DNA profile matching Fulwiley’s DNA, and he possessed them in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.

Fulwiley remains in the custody of the United States Marshal Service. At sentencing, Fulwiley faces statutory penalties of up to life imprisonment, fines not to exceed $8,000,000 and not less than an eight-year term of supervised release.

Maxwell previously pleaded guilty in March 2023 to possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 24, 2023, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.

The case investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Champaign County Street Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the Illinois State Police Forensic Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Ritzer and Bryan Freres represented the government at trial.