MARION—Two Chicago drug dealers won’t be doing any business in Marion for a very long time.
Latoy Hodges and Brushuan Baker, both of Chicago, were recently sentenced in the Marion County Common Pleas Court by Judge W.T. Edwards.
The charges stem from a search warrant executed on December 8, 2021, by the MARMET Drug Task Force and the Marion County SRT unit at a home located at 766 Creston Avenue in the City of Marion.
Officers seized 63 baggies of cocaine and 159 baggies of heroin/fentanyl from the residence. $1,295 in cash was seized.
Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan presented Hodges with a plea offer of between 6 and 9 years in prison. At his final pew trial, Hodges rejected the plea.
A few days later, he had a change of heart and decided to take the deal.
Judge Edwards did not accept the prosecutor’s offer since it was after his final pre-trial.
Hodges’ hesitation will now result in 9-13 1/2 years in prison.
Based on what he saw his co-defendant receive, Baker took the offer made by Prosecutor Grogan, and Judge Edwards honored it. Baker will serve 6-9 years in prison for trafficking In fentanyl.
Both men received a mandatory $10,000.00 drug fine.
In a statement released by Grogan’s office, he said:
“These two individuals had enough fentanyl to kill nearly 7,000 people. Let me be clear, if you come to this community to sell this poison, you will be prosecuted, and we will do all we can to send you to prison.” Grogan said.