Hannibal, Missouri, Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Facilitating Distribution of Methamphetamine and Other Drugs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Hannibal, Missouri, man, Orlando Webster, 40, of the 1900 block of Hope Street, was sentenced on February 21, 2023, to 87 months in federal prison for two counts of facilitating the use of communication facilities in furtherance of illegal drug distribution. Upon release from imprisonment, Webster will serve a one-year term of supervised release.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence that Webster facilitated drug deals by using a cellular phone. All total, the offenses involved 549 grams of “Ice” methamphetamine, 226 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and 2,544.2 grams of cannabis with the drugs being sent via commercial carrier from California and then distributed in Illinois and Missouri.

Previously, two co-defendants, Tommy Tran and Shawn Davis, were sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and 144 months’ imprisonment respectively. Cases against three other co-defendants remain set for either sentencing or trial. Members of the public are reminded that the charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and defendant are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The statutory penalties for using a communication facility to commit a drug felony are up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a potential fine of up to $250,000.

The case investigation was conducted by the West Central Illinois Task Force, Illinois State Police, and the Quincy Police Department, with assistance from law enforcement agencies in California and Missouri.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Webster is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.