Accused drug dealer pleads not guilty in federal court

An accused drug dealer who was arrested last week in connection with an unfolding drug scandal in St. Clair County has pleaded not guilty to charges of possession and distribution of heroin.

Sean D. McGilvery appeared before U.S. Magistrate Donald Wilkerson on Thursday and waived his right to a detention hearing while he finds a “suitable” substance abuse facility, according to documents filed in the case at federal court in East St. Louis. He also waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

He is represented by St. Louis attorney Rodney Holmes.

McGilvery was charged May 23 and is being held in federal custody.

He is accused of possessing and distributing large quantities of heroin – exceeding one kilogram — in an operation where resources were pooled and drugs were run from Chicago. In one instance last December, McGilvery allegedly made a $50,000 heroin purchase.

He was charged on May 23 and is being held in federal custody.

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) task force officer Neal Rohlfing stated in an affidavit that McGilvery also conspired with Deborah A. Perkins, 65, and Douglas W. Oliver II, 47, a mother-son duo from Fairview Heights, to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute in excess of one kilogram of heroin.

Perkins and Oliver were charged in September in St. Clair County with concealment of the homicidal death of Jessica M. Williams of Collinsville.

Investigators identified Perkins and Oliver as responsible for moving the body of Williams – who died of a heroin overdose – from Fairview Heights to Washington Park to conceal her death.

Perkins and Oliver also face federal drug charges and are in federal custody.

In connection to McGilvery's arrest, St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael Cook also faces federal drug-related charges. He was arrested at Cook's house on May 22 and charged May 24 with possession of heroin and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms. He has entered a not guilty plea to both charges and stepped down from the bench on May 29.

St. Clair County probation officer James Fogarty also was arrested last week. He is accused of supplying drugs to Cook and to the late Associate Judge Joseph Christ who died of cocaine intoxification on March 10. He admitted to an FBI agent that he had used drugs with Cook and Christ on multiple occasions. He also said that he supplied them with cocaine the day before the judges went to a hunting cabin in Pike County - where Christ died.