Jury Convicts Chicago Resident of Drug Trafficking and Firearm Crimes while in the District of Utah

ST. GEORGE, Utah - A federal jury in St. George returned a guilty verdict against a Chicago man after law enforcement found him in possession of cocaine and a firearm during a traffic stop.

Marcus Kentral Brown, 44, of Chicago, IL, was found guilty of possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 13, 2021, Brown was pulled over by a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper. Brown, the driver and sole occupant of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, stated he was traveling back to Chicago from California. Brown claimed the Jeep was his and that he purchased the vehicle from a "friend" in February or March. During a consensual search of the vehicle, the UHP Trooper found air fresheners throughout the car and a hidden compartment in the rear cargo area. He also located and seized approximately $14,000 in cash. Inside the hidden compartment, the trooper located 10 packages of a controlled substance that later tested positive for cocaine, and a loaded Glock pistol. The total weight of the cocaine was 25 pounds

Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.

The case is being investigated by the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.