Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Alonzo Hampton 50, of the 1300 block of North Peoria Road, was sentenced on March 9, 2023, by Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough to 84 months in prison, to be followed by a six-year-term of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute heroin and for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

At sentencing, the government presented evidence that Hampton was responsible for possessing 45.7 grams of heroin and 75.9 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute those substances and that he possessed a Keltec .32 handgun. Hampton has a lengthy criminal history that includes a federal drug conviction in 1992. He was on supervised release at the time of the offenses following his release from the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2019.

Hampton was indicted in February 2020 and pleaded guilty in October 2022. He has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since February 2020.

The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute heroin are not more than 30 years in prison, not more than a $2,000,000 fine, and not less than six years of supervised release. The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon are up to ten years in prison, not more than a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

The Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Hampton 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.