Chicago Man Found Guilty of Heroin Conspiracy Charge in Federal Court

DES MOINES, IA – On Thursday, January 12, 2023, a federal jury convicted a Markham, Illinois man of conspiracy to distribute 1,000 grams or more of heroin for his role in a large-scale heroin and fentanyl conspiracy.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, over the course of a 14-month investigation that included the use of wiretaps, law enforcement identified Carl Murphy, age 53, as a heroin/fentanyl supplier for numerous street-level dealers in the Des Moines Metro from 2019 through July 2021. In July 2021, over 20 members of the conspiracy were arrested and federally indicted.

Evidence at trial showed that Murphy is a member of the Black P Stone Nation, a criminal street gang based in Chicago, Illinois. Murphy had a large distribution network consisting of lower ranking gang members, which he helped run and control. The street-level dealers traveled to and from Murphy’s residence in Illinois to purchase large quantities of heroin/fentanyl for redistribution in Des Moines. In 2011, Murphy was previously convicted of distribution of a controlled substance in the Northern District of Illinois. While awaiting trial, Murphy threatened individuals he believed to be cooperating against him.

Murphy’s sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2023. Murphy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal court system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE) and the Central Iowa Gang Task Force (CIGTF).

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.