Altamont Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution Charge

An Altamont man has pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with possession of alpha-PVP with intent to distribute.

US Attorney Stephen Wigginton said 46-year-old Ricky T. Garner of Altamont pled guilty Tuesday to a federal indictment. Sentencing is scheduled for September 16 in US District Court in East St. Louis.

Alpha-PVP is a prohibited controlled substance very similar to methamphetamine. It is chemically similar to meth and produces similar effects when ingested.

According to evidence introduced at Garner's plea hearing Tuesday, Illinois State Police troopers stopped Garner's truck near Beecher City on October 1, 2014. Garner was arrested due to outstanding arrest warrants. Police found 70 grams (2-1/2 ounces) of alpha-PVP near Garner in the truck.

Garner has been in custody since his arrest.

At his sentencing hearing in September, Garner will face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1 million fine, and a term of at least three years of supervised release.

The investigation that resulted in Garner's arrest and conviction was conducted by an Illinois State Police SWAT Team based in Effingham.