Four Charged With Southern Illinois Meth Conspiracy

Four people have been charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in southern Illinois, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Scott A. Carnell, 36, of Pacific, Missouri, Jarrett C. Hood, 36, of Walsh, Illinois, Kayla S. Kempfer, 30, of Marissa, Illinois, and Jordan D. Vuichard, 32, of Sparta, Illinois, are named defendants in a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury earlier this month, alleges that the offense occurred between 2017 and August 2018, in Jackson, Randolph, and St. Clair Counties.

Kempfer and Hood made their initial appearances in federal court on September 19 and September 26, respectively. They are both being held without bond pending a November 26 jury trial. Carnell and Vuichard have their initial appearances scheduled for October 4 at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois.

By law, if convicted, the defendants face a minimum of five years in prison and could receive as much as 40 years imprisonment and fines of up to $5 million.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sparta Police Department, New Athens Police Department, Marissa Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Randolph County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.