Evergreen Reporter

A Champaign, Illinois woman, Malaia A. Turner, 36, was sentenced on September 23, 2024, to 324 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Her sentence will be followed by eight years of supervised release.

The government presented evidence at the sentencing hearing showing that Turner played a leading role in a conspiracy responsible for acquiring large quantities of ice methamphetamine and other drugs from suppliers in California, Texas, and Illinois. These drugs were then transported to the Central District of Illinois. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce determined that Turner's leadership role warranted heightened penalties.

Turner was convicted after a four-day jury trial in May 2024 and has been held by the United States Marshals Service since her arrest in August 2022.

During sentencing, Turner faced statutory penalties ranging from ten years' imprisonment to life imprisonment, along with a fine up to $10 million and not less than five years of supervised release upon her release from custody.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Field Office, Illinois State Police East Central Illinois Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel E. Ritzer and Timothy J. Sullivan prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations using a multi-agency approach that leverages federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.