A Danville man faces life in prison after a federal jury returned eight guilty verdicts this week in a major drug distribution case.
Federal prosecutors say 49-year-old Marcus “Slim” McKinney was found guilty on November 19th of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, maintaining drug-involved properties, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.
Jurors also concluded that McKinney distributed drugs that caused serious injury to one woman and the death of another, identified as Maggie Avelar. Sentencing is set for March 23rd at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana.
During five days of testimony, prosecutors outlined McKinney’s alleged drug operation, which they say began shortly after he was released to home confinement at a residence on South State Street in Danville in April of 2023. Evidence showed McKinney distributed meth, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl for more than a year, oftentimes exchanging drugs for sex.
According to the government, multiple overdoses occurred that first weekend, including a woman who survived only after being treated with Narcan, and the death of Christopher “RS” Fields. Investigators say McKinney later moved his operation to a home on Kentucky Avenue, where Avelar died in August of 2023 after being given what McKinney allegedly called a “hot shot,” a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Prosecutors say McKinney and his brother then lied to police about the circumstances of her death.
McKinney was later transferred to a halfway house in Springfield, but prosecutors say the drug activity continued. In June of 2024, investigators recorded McKinney distributing more than a pound of meth to a confidential DEA source. Days later, agents seized more than two pounds of meth and over five kilograms of cocaine from storage lockers tied to McKinney.
Prosecutors also presented evidence that McKinney attempted to tamper with a witness in early 2025 by urging her to contact his attorney and provide false statements. McKinney has been held by the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in June of 2024. With two prior federal drug convictions, he faces a mandatory life sentence.
The investigation involved the Danville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Springfield Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugene Miller and Timothy Sullivan handled the case for the government.
