California truck driver pleads guilty to transporting 91 kg of cocaine through Illinois

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A California man caught transporting $1.8 million worth of cocaine through Illinois was sentenced to spend 11 years in federal prison Monday.

Ronald Coleman, 45, of Barstow, California, pleaded guilty to the charges against him earlier this year.

According to the US Department of Justice, in April 2023, Coleman was driving a semi truck that was pulled over on Interstate 88 near Morrison. During the traffic stop, a K9 was able to sniff out the presence of drugs.

Police uncovered two suitcases containing 91 kilograms of cocaine with a value of $1.8 million.

Authorities say Coleman was transporting the drugs from California to a warehouse in Chicago where he was to exchange the cocaine for cash.

Police said he also had a firearm inside the truck.

U.S. District Judge Iain Johnson imposed the 11-year sentence at a hearing in federal court in Rockford.