Operation Saddle-Up rounds up 9 more meth manufacturing arrests

By Tom Willenbring, Prestige Radio News Director

MACOMB- “Operation Saddle-Up”, the federal initiative to curb methamphetamine production in west-central Illinois, arrested nine area people Monday on federal meth manufacturing charges.

Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn Knaus announced yesterday the arrests of Astoria residents 37 year old Christopher Kling, 33 year old Brandon Welker, 40 year old Francis Williams, 29 year old Amanda Cox, 37 year old Brandon Alford, 22 year old Nichole Westlake, and 49 year old Arlan Cox.

Also arrested in that group was 30 year old Jeremiah Miller of Table Grove, who is currently in state prison custody.

All are charged with one count of conspiracy to manufacture more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

The charges allege that they were making meth in McDonough County and elsewhere in Illinois since 2009.

In a separate arrest Monday, 39 year old Homer Weishaar of Browning was arrested on the same charges and is accused of making meth since 2009 in McDonough County and elsewhere.

This brings the total arrests since the operation started up to about 50, which is something that McDonough County Sheriff Rick VanBrooker sees massive benefits in, and not just in the reduction of meth.

[audio https://prestigenewsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/062012-crime-vanbrooker.mp3]

The minimum prison sentence all nine are facing is 10 years unless they have a prior felony conviction, then that goes up to a minimum of 20 years.

If there’s more than two felony convictions, the base penalty is life in prison.

Two Operation Saddle-Up meth dealers from Industry get prison terms

By Tom Willenbring, Prestige Radio News Director

PEORIA- Operation Saddle-Up has earned two new convictions from the federal and local drug operation.

28 year old Justin Cox and 25 year old Ashley Alexander of Industry were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Peoria Wednesday to considerable jail time.

Cox was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months in prison while Alexander received a stiffer 9 year prison sentence.

The pair was arrested by local authorities on September 16^th, 2010 after they were caught manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine from a room at the Rodeway Inn on North Lafayette Street in Macomb.

Police found meth packaged for delivery, a meth lab, meth making chemicals and a handgun at the hotel room during the arrests.

Both were charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine.

Operation Saddle-Up continues to target drug dealers and makers in McDonough County and West-Central Illinois.

Table Grove man pleads guilty to federal meth charges

McDonough County Jail mugshot from earlier arrest

PEORIA- A Table Grove man pled guilty this week to federal drug charges and could be facing a very long time in prison.

47 year old Tommy Rutledge Junior pled guilty to one count of Conspiring to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine.

According to the Peoria Journal-Star, Rutledge was already on supervised release, which is the federal form of probation, for an earlier meth-related charge and will be sentenced on that charge as well on July 23rd.

A McDonough County Sheriff’s Office press release states that Rutledge is facing “decades” behind bars.

Until he is sentenced, he will remain in custody of the United States Marshals’ Office.