Perry County Man Arraigned On Drug Charge

A Perry County man made his initial appearance in federal court on January 7, 2013, on a one-count superseding indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Henry D. Jacquez, 35, of Cutler, was charged, along with seven others, in a one-count superseding indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. The offense is alleged to have occurred between November, 2011 and October 12, 2012 in Perry, Jackson and Randolph Counties. Upon conviction, the offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. At a January 10, 2013, detention hearing, Jacquez was ordered held without bond, pending a March 11, 2013, jury trial.

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 Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Percy Police Department, the Murphysboro Police Department, the Sparta Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The United States Marshals Service has also assisted during the investigation.

The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.