Hillsdale Police Lieutenant and Officer Indicted on Federal Drug Charges

ST. LOUIS, MO—Lieutenant Parrish Swanson and Officer Raymond Stephens are charged with conspiracy to distribute and attempted distribution of heroin.

According to the indictment, during March 2014, Swanson and Stephens agreed to assist an associate, a suspected drug dealer, rob—or what is more commonly referred to as rip off—a drug courier of an amount of heroin within the city of Hillsdale. The associate agreed to pay Swanson and Stephens cash for their assistance in this rip off. On March 20, 2014, Stephens, while on duty as a Hillsdale Police officer, approached the drug courier and robbed him of approximately four ounces of suspected heroin. He later met with the associate and gave him the heroin in exchange for $900 cash. Stephens then gave Swanson $200 of the $900 per their previous agreement.

Swanson, 40, St. Louis, and Stevens, 28, St. Charles, were each indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on one felony count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and attempt to distribute heroin. They were arrested by FBI agents this morning.

If convicted, each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $1 million. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Hal Goldsmith and John Bodenhausen are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.