Two Galesburg Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Two Galesburg, Illinois, men, Juan Pablo Garcia, aka "Chewy" (age 30), and Edgar Calderon, aka "Lil Man" (age 34), were sentenced on June 15, 2026, following their convictions for trafficking in methamphetamine and cocaine. Garcia was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Calderon was sentenced to 27.5 years of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

At the jury trial earlier this year, the government presented evidence showing that beginning in the spring and continuing through the fall of 2024, Garcia and Calderon conspired with one another and others to source kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine from Texas and bring the drugs back to Galesburg for distribution. During the conspiracy, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled buys from Garcia and one controlled buy from Calderon. In addition to the evidence of drug trafficking in the Galesburg area, the government also presented evidence regarding a traffic stop connected to the conspiracy in Nacogdoches County, Texas, where approximately 9.8 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine were seized.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow, the Court found that firearms were possessed during the conspiracy and that both men tampered with witnesses. Additionally, the Court found that Garcia created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury when he fled from officers in his vehicle after they attempted to arrest him in relation to these charges. In pronouncing Garcia and Calderon's sentences, the Court noted that this was a large-scale enterprise responsible for trafficking considerable amounts of narcotics in the relatively small community of Galesburg. During the hearing, the Court conveyed the devastation that methamphetamine causes in communities and the positive impact that removing large-scale drug traffickers, such as Garcia and Calderon, can have.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment in January 2025 charging Garcia and Calderon with conspiracy to distribute and posses with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. They were detained pending trial, and both have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrest.

Robert Joseph Strong, also of Galesburg, was involved in the conspiracy as well and pleaded guilty prior to trial. Strong received a sentence of 240 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

The statutory penalties for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine are at least ten years but not more than life imprisonment, at least five years but up to a life term of supervised release, and a fine up to $10,000,000.

The case investigation was conducted by the Knox County (Illinois) Sheriff's Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Galesburg Police Department; the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Searle and Jennifer L. Mathew represented the United States.