Boone County Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

ROCKFORD - A Boone County, Ill. man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On Oct. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at BRADLEY WALTERS's place of business, Black Sheep Vintage, in Roscoe, Ill. Inside the premises, officers located more than a kilogram of fentanyl pills, more than 100 grams of pure methamphetamine, more than four kilograms of methamphetamine pills, and other suspected controlled substances. Officers also located a loaded pellet gun modeled to resemble a Glock firearm.

A search warrant was obtained after law enforcement made several controlled purchases of drugs from Walters, including at his business the day before the execution of the warrant.

Walters, 51, Caledonia, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. On July 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Walters to 24 years and four months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office participated in the investigation with the DEA. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.