Man arrested with 13 pounds of cocaine in Macon County

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A man who was already on parole from a 45 year sentence for drug trafficking was arrested with 13 pounds of cocaine in Macon County.

On June 9, a Macon County Sheriff's deputy arrested Antione R. Ridgeway on Interstate 72 in Macon County.

The Macon County Sheriff's Office and Decatur Police Department had been investigating alleged cocaine sales by Ridgeway. Officers believed he was traveling into Macon County with cocaine from the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area.

DPD set surveillance at the Springfield Amtrack station and said they saw Ridgeway near the station after a recent arrival from the previous Amtrack stop in St. Louis.

Detectives saw Ridgeway with luggage, getting into the back passenger seat of an SUV with IL registration. The vehicle was surveilled onto I-72 and into Macon County.

ISP helped conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle on I-72. During the stop, an ISP K-9 was requested. The dog alerted to the presence of drug odor.

Upon searching the vehicle, officers found 6.2 kilograms, or about 13 pounds, of cocaine.

Ridgeway was then taken into custody.

Two search warrants were later executed at 2329 E. Prairie St. and 304 E. Kellar Ln. in Decatur. Officers said documents and prescription pill bottles with Ridgeway's name were found along with digital scales and a gun.

Ridgeway was charged with drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a weapon.

He was currently on parole through October 18, 2026. Court records show he was released from custody and placed on parole on October 18, 2023 after being sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking.