A Mt. Vernon, Ill.-, man, convicted of distributing crack cocaine, was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison on June 9, 2011, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Jeremiah N. Garrett, 26, of Mt. Vernon, previously plead guilty to a two count Indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Benton, Illinois. Count 1 charged that on September 4, 2010, Garrett knowingly and intentionally distributed crack cocaine. Count 2 charged that on September 6, 2010, Garrett knowingly and intentionally distributed crack cocaine. Garrett’s sentence was increased because the District Judge determined that Garrett was a career offender. Garrett was also placed on six years’ supervised release (which follows his term of imprisonment) and was fined $200.

“It is, as always, vitally important to me and my office that we take the worst, repeat, drug and gun offenders off of our streets and put them where they will no longer be able to poison our communities!” stated United States Attorney Wigginton.

The investigation was conducted by the Joint Narcotics Unit of the Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Illinois State Police, the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office, the United States Marshal Service, and other law enforcement agencies pursuant to their participation in the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a joint and cooperative effort of the United States Attorney’s Office, and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies directed at removing guns and drugs from our communities.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.

 

 

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