Illinois man sentenced to 13 years for running drug-trafficking organization that sold heroin, cocaine

ROCKFORD, Ill. - An Illinois man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for trafficking heroin and cocaine, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Tervarie Lottie, 34, of Rockford, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin, conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute.

In a plea agreement, Lottie admitted that he led a drug-trafficking organization that distributed heroin to other drug dealers and street-level customers in the Rockford area in 2017. 

Lottie and a co-defendant, Tyshon Watson, also of Rockford, shared a cell phone that the organization's street-level customers contacted to arrange to buy heroin, prosecutors said.

On days when Watson had the phone, Watson sold heroin to customers and provided the proceeds to Lottie. On days when Lottie had the phone, Lottie sold heroin to the street-level customers.

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Lottie also personally sold larger quantities of heroin to other drug dealers in the Rockford area, prosecutors said. 

Another member of the drug-trafficking organization, co-defendant Johnia Wilson, of Rockford, recruited individuals to buy the heroin from the organization — with Wilson brokering transactions between Lottie and the buyers.

Prosecutors say Wilson also helped collect drug-trafficking proceeds.

Lottie maintained an apartment in Rockford that he used as a "trap house" to store and package heroin. He also used it to distribute to customers and meet with Watson and Wilson. 

Lottie also conspired with another co-defendant, Devonte Gordon, of Rockford, to possess cocaine, prosecutors said.

Lottie would arrange for Gordon to purchase two kilograms of cocaine from one of Lottie's narcotics suppliers in 2017.

The three co-defendants were previously sentenced to federal prison terms, prosecutors said.

Gordon was sentenced to 87 months, Watson was sentenced to 57 months and Wilson was sentenced to 36 months.