FOUR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS DEFENDANTS SENTENCED IN METHAMPHETAMINE CONSPIRACY

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that four defendants from Southern Illinois, were sentenced on April 17, 2009, in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for their roles in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine in Franklin and Williamson Counties. Much of the methamphetamine manufactured by the members of the conspiracy was “cooked” at property controlled by coconspirators DION and ANTON HALASKA that was located outside of Johnson City, Illinois.

DION HALASKA, age 38, of Johnson City, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 159 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of 5 years’ supervised release. ANTON “TONY” HALASKA, age 41, of West Frankfort, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 135 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of 5 years’ supervised release CLARENCE “BUBBA” McCAY, age 26, of New Herrin, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 80 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of 5 years’ supervised release. MARSHAL ROSENBERGER, age 28, of Cambria, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 110 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of 4 years’ supervised release.

All defendants were ordered to jointly pay $6,913 in restitution for the cleanup of the methamphetamine-manufacturing materials and by-products that were seized from the Halaskas’ property in 2003.

The investigation was led by the COMIT Drug Task Force with assistance from the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Franklin, Williamson, and Jackson County Sheriffs’ Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James E. Crowe, III.