This week, a California truck driver was sentenced to federal prison for attempting to transport a large load of cocaine from California to Chicago.

On April 28, Barstow resident Ronald Coleman, 45, was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Coleman previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Coleman was pulled over by Illinois State Police on I-88 near Morrison in April 2023. During the traffic stop, with the assistance of a canine unit, police discovered two suitcases filled with cocaine.

As part of a plea agreement, Coleman admitted that he knew he was transporting more than 91 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $2.5 million.

Coleman told authorities that he was transporting the cocaine to a warehouse in Chicago, where he was to exchange the drugs for cash and transport the money back to California.

Officials also say that Coleman admitted to carrying a firearm “to protect himself, the cocaine, and the cash during the transport,” and that Coleman expected to be paid for transporting the drugs to the Chicago warehouse.

The case was investigated with assistance from Illinois State Police.