Diligent investigative work by the West Central Illinois Task Force and the Quincy Police Department Street Crimes Unit paid off when two brothers were indicted for street gang criminal drug conspiracy and unlawful calculated criminal drug conspiracy, for bringing cocaine to Quincy, Illinois, with the intent to distribute it.

The older brother, 22, is already in jail for unrelated convictions, while his younger brother, 19, has been held since the indictment. The two are facing charges that range from street gang criminal conspiracy to multiple deliveries of crack cocaine.

Allegedly the two, who are connected with a gang, organized, managed and supervised the distribution of the drugs and made numerous buys from confidential sources worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Charges stemming from possession, sales, and distribution of drugs are felonies and as in this case, the penalties could be severe. An experienced criminal defense attorney could help you if you find yourself in a similar situation, because the decision you make, could affect you for the rest of your life.

Federal prosecutors have now brought federal charges against the two based on the evidence they received from the investigation. Being charged in federal court can have more serious consequences than being sentenced in state court. Defendants in a federal case must serve 85 percent of their sentence if they plead guilty or are convicted.

Also, the brothers allegedly had other people working for them. Five people were street dealers, but all have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to go to trial in the coming months. Four other women were also indicted for facilitating the conspiracy. Two of the four women have pleaded guilty, while the other two are awaiting trials.

Source: Quincy Herald-Whig, "Purham brothers now facing federal drug counts," Rodney Hart, Jan. 25, 2012