On September 13, 2016, Associate Judge William Workman accepted a fully negotiated plea agreement sentencing Calen Ballard to 6 1/2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with a period of 1 year of mandatory supervised release (formerly known as parole) for the offense of Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance, a class 3 felony, in Logan County case number 16 CF 42.

     On February 23, 2016, Lincoln Police conducted a follow-up investigation regarding a heroin overdose that occurred 5 days before at the Budget Inn, 2011 N. Kickapoo Street, Lincoln. Officers entered room 123 of the Budget Inn and found several individuals inside, including Calen Ballard. Officers observed small pieces of foil consistent with the packaging of heroin, a hypodermic syringe, and 0.3 grams of a substance that tested positive for the presence of heroin. One of the occupants of the room stated he had just purchased the heroin from Ballard prior to police arrival.

     Based on the Lincoln Police heroin overdose investigation, Jason Routson was also charged, convicted and sentenced for the offense of Aggravated Battery, a class 1 felony. Routson was sentenced to a term of 8 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in Logan County case number 16 CF 36 on April 19, 2016.