Law enforcement agencies in western Illinois and southeast Iowa are conducting an investigation called Operation Iced Out. It has nothing to do with the weather. Rather, it is an investigation into the distribution of meth.
Four people were arrested and charged with meth-related offenses in the past week:
- Mathew Curtis, 35, of Rushville
- Michael Snodgrass, 44, of Macomb
- Marcia Shafer, 46, of Burlington
- Dinara Lewis, 33, of Brooklyn (IL)
Two others were indicted in federal court last week:
- Cynthia Huss, 35, of Lomax
- Cherie Willits, 40, of Burlington
The McDonough County Sheriff’s Department said authorities have seized more than two pounds of meth and a number of firearms during the past eight months. The department said the investigation has covered McDonough, Knox, Warren, Hancock, Fulton, Henderson, and Mercer counties in Illinois plus the city of Burlington in Iowa.
The investigation is being overseen by the Macomb/McDonough County Drug Unit, which includes members from the sheriff’s department, the Macomb Police Department, the Bushnell Police Department, and the Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety.
The drug unit is being assisted by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency; the West Central Illinois Task Force; the police departments in Burlington, Galesburg and Monmouth; and the sheriff’s departments in Warren, Hancock, Fulton, and Mercer counties.
