A Galesburg was convicted in Federal Court Tuesday evening of intending to sell about a quarter pound of ICE meth.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a guilty verdict for 47-year-old Forest “Woody” Norville.
Norville’s official charge is intent to deliver at least 50 grams of methamphetamine.
ICE is a more pure and strong form of meth than the speed and base forms. His sentencing hearing is set for Aug. 10.
The government presented their case over a day, establishing that after a traffic stop in April of 2019, Galesburg police discovered about 115 grams of meth on Norville’s person.
According to WGIL reporting from the time, Norville was stopped on a motorcycle and was concealing about a quarter pound of meth down his pants.
Police pulled Norville over at about 1 a.m. that night, for riding in the middle of the roadway. They also knew his license was suspended.
Police discovered Norville had two cell phones, a digital scale with residue, a prescription bottle containing suspected hydrocodone, and five small empty baggies.
Testimony heard during the trial from a DEA expert established that the drugs Norville possessed were equivalent to 500 to 1,000 typical-user amounts.
They also explained that the other items in Norville’s possession were indicative of drug trafficking.
When Norville faces sentencing, he could get anywhere from a minimum of ten years to life years in prison for possessing with intent to deliver at least 50 grams of actual meth.
This might be the end of a long career in narcotics distribution for Norville who has been charged with felonies of possessing and distributing narcotics in Knox County since 2004.
2004 was when Norville was sentenced to probation for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. His probation was later revoked, and Norville was sentenced to five years in prison concurrent with an identical sentence for possession of methamphetamine.
The case investigation was conducted by the Galesburg Police Department with assistance provided by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Mathew and Alyssa Raya represented the government at trial.
