BELLEVILLE MAN CONVICTED OF DRUG AND GUN OFFENSES

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 17, 2009, KEVYN TAYLOR, a/k/a “Bone,” age 35, of Belleville, Illinois, was convicted following a three-day jury trial in Benton, Illinois. TAYLOR was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 50 Grams of Crack Cocaine; Distribution of over 50 Grams of Crack Cocaine; Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The jury also found that TAYLOR should forfeit the firearm possessed during the crimes. The violations took place from approximately September 2005, to July 2006, in St. Clair County, Illinois.

The conspiracy and distribution counts each carry a potential sentence of not less than 10 years, up to life in prison, a $4,000,000 fine, and not less than 5 years supervised release. The cocaine possession count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and not less than 3 years supervised release. Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense carries a minimum sentence of 5 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, consecutive to any sentence of imprisonment imposed on the other counts, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Possession of a Firearm by a Felon carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years supervised release. In addition, each count of conviction requires the mandatory imposition of a $100 special assessment. TAYLOR is scheduled to be sentenced at 10:00 on September 24 at the federal courthouse in Benton.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald S. Boyce.