Following a two-day trial in East St. Louis, Illinois, a jury has found Broderick K. Currie, also known as Broderick K. Wooters, a resident of Centralia, guilty of distributing cocaine and fentanyl in Marion County. Currie, aged 36, faced one count of distribution of cocaine and one count of distribution of fentanyl as part of the federal charges.
According to U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, "As a career offender, this defendant has sold drugs in southern Illinois and caused irrevocable harm to families for many years." He emphasized the danger posed by fentanyl, calling Currie's conviction a "win for our region."
The trial evidence demonstrated that Currie sold nearly 12 grams of cocaine and one gram of fentanyl to a confidential source in February 2024. FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson remarked, "If you are distributing controlled substances, especially deadly fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, we will find you and hold you accountable."
Currie is facing up to 30 years of imprisonment for each distribution charge, with his sentencing hearing set for August 12.
The FBI Springfield Field Office’s Southern Illinois TOC-West Task Force led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Carraway and Dan Kapsak prosecuted the case. Support for the investigation came from several agencies including Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Carlyle Police Department, Mt. Vernon Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative. OCDETF focuses on identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States, utilizing a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency strategy.