CAHOKIA MAN SENTENCED FOR FOR GUN AND DRUG CONVICTIONS

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on May 13, 2009, EDWARD DIXON, age 31, of Cahokia, Illinois, was sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon (Count 1); possession with the intent to distribute “crack” cocaine (Count 2); and, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count 3). DIXON pled guilty to the offenses on October 1, 2008. DIXON was sentenced to concurrent terms of 46 months of imprisonment on Counts 1 and 2, and a consecutive term of 60 months of imprisonment on Count 3, for a total of 106 months’ imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons, and six (6) years’ supervised release. DIXON was also ordered to pay a fine of $700, and a $300 special assessment.

On January 3, 2008, DIXON was observed by an Illinois State Police Trooper as DIXON was seated in his vehicle. As other ISP officers approached Dixon’s car, one of the officers noticed a bag of “crack” cocaine in the defendant’s lap. As the officers were removing DIXON from his vehicle, DIXON advised that he had a gun in his waistband. A .357 Magnum caliber revolver was recovered from the waistband of DIXON’S pants.

The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in cooperation with the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office, as part of those agencies’ participation in Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nation-wide initiative intended to combat gun and drug crimes. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.