DECATUR, Ill. — A convicted drug trafficker on parole from a 45-year sentence was arrested on June 9 in Macon County with 13 pounds of cocaine, according to law enforcement.
Antione R. Ridgeway, who had been released on parole in October 2023, was taken into custody after a traffic stop on Interstate 72. Ridgeway had been under investigation by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and Decatur Police Department, who suspected he was transporting cocaine from the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area into Macon County.
Detectives observed Ridgeway arriving at the Springfield Amtrak station after a stop in St. Louis. He was seen entering the back seat of an SUV, which was later followed by authorities onto I-72.
Illinois State Police conducted a traffic stop, during which a K-9 unit alerted officers to drugs inside the vehicle. A search uncovered approximately 6.2 kilograms (13 pounds) of cocaine.
Following his arrest, two search warrants were executed at Ridgeway’s known addresses in Decatur — 2329 E. Prairie St. and 304 E. Kellar Ln. Investigators recovered documents and prescription bottles with Ridgeway’s name, along with digital scales and a firearm.
Ridgeway now faces charges of:
Drug trafficking
Being a felon in possession of a weapon
At the time of his arrest, Ridgeway was on parole until October 18, 2026, stemming from a previous 45-year sentence for drug trafficking.
The case remains under investigation by local and state authorities.
