A Kankakee man, Javan Jamar Thompson, has been dealt a ten-year sentence for his attempts to bring fentanyl and cocaine into his community through the United States Mail, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois. Thompson, 35, faced multiple charges, including Attempted Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, Attempted Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate a Controlled Substance Offense, and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. The sentencing followed his guilty plea entered on June 20.
During the sentencing, the court heard evidence that Thompson had used the mail system to illicitly obtain controlled substances. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (KAMEG) intercepted a parcel headed his way, finding it loaded with thousands of fentanyl-laced pills and hundreds of grams of cocaine, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Authorities also discovered a firearm in Thompson's possession, which as a felon, he was prohibited to ever have. U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce emphasized the gravity of Thompson's crimes, particularly noting how the presence of the handgun only served to aggravate his offenses.
"We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the community from the distribution of these deadly substances and will fully prosecute individuals attempting to utilize the U.S. mail in an illegal manner," U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris assured in a statement. Ruth Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, highlighted the stern message sent by Thompson's sentence, vowing to be ever-vigilant against the misuse of postal services to spread illicit drugs.
