GUILTY PLEA IN EFFINGHAM COUNTY METHAMPHETAMINE CASE

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 13, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Benton, Illinois, KEVIN C. MCWHORTER, age 40, of Beecher City,, Illinois, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine. The statutory penalty applicable to MCWHORTER is not less than 20 years' imprisonment up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8 million, and a term of supervised release of not less than 8 years. Sentencing is currently scheduled for November 19, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.

According to the Indictment and to other court documents, the conspiracy operated in and around Effingham County and elsewhere in the Southern District of Illinois, from approximately 2004 through mid 2008.

This investigation into methamphetamine manufacturing activity was primarily conducted by the Effingham County Sheriff's Office, and was conducted in cooperation with other area local law enforcement agencies and the Effingham County State's Attorney Edward Deters. The investigation was conducted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods DRAGUN Team Initiative, a cooperative effort of local, state and federal law enforcement, and state and federal prosecuting authorities, aimed at ridding communities of illegal drugs and guns.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.