CENTRALIA MAN SENTENCED ON HEROIN DISTRIBUTION CHARGES

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 6, 2009, BRANDON K. PURNELL, a/k/a “B,” age 25, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Benton, Illinois. PURNELL was sentenced to 135 months' imprisonment, fined $200, and placed on 4 years supervised release.

PURNELL had previously pleaded guilty to two counts in a federal indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, and Distribution of Heroin. The four co-defendants have pleaded guilty and all await sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Clinton County Sheriff's Department, the Illinois State Police, the Centralia Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration 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 Marion County State's Attorney's Office also assisted during the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.