Man enters guilty plea of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone

COLLINSVILLE - Gerald Tanner, 56, of Collinsville, Illinois, pleaded guilty on July 18, 2016, in US District Court to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and methadone, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.

On November 18, 2015, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment alleging that three St. Clair County residents participated in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and methadone into the Southern District of Illinois. Evidence discussed in court established that the St. Louis Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Gerald Tanner for illegally distributing schedule II narcotics out of his home. The DEA obtained the assistance of a confidential source and purchased opiate-based pain medications from Ryan Koch and Lisa-Marie Sue Ketterer, who were supplied by Gerald Tanner. Koch and Ketterer resold a portion of the drugs they bought and used the remainder.

Previously, Ryan Koch, 34, and Lisa Marie Sue Ketterer, 26, both of St. Clair County pleaded guilty on June 28, 2016, and May 10, 2016, respectively. Koch will be sentenced on September 29, 2016 and Ketterer will be sentenced on August 23, 2016.

US Attorney Donald S. Boyce said, “There has been a national proliferation of opiate drug abuse. Sales of opioid pain relievers quadrupled between 1999 and 2010. And that proliferation has correlated strongly with an increase in heroin abuse and drug-related deaths. Opiates are causing tremendous damage in our community and the US Attorney’s office will continue to fight the distribution of drugs that endanger public safety.”

As charged in this case, conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and methadone is punishable by not more than 20 years in federal prison, not more than a $1,000,000 fine, and not less than 5 years supervised release. However, the United States Sentencing Guidelines must be applied to the case and considered by the Court during sentencing. Tanner is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2016.

The investigation is being conducted by Diversion Investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

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