GALLATIN COUNTY SHERIFF ARRESTED ON CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that RAYMOND M. MARTIN, age 46, of Junction, Illinois, has been charged in a Criminal Complaint filed in United States District Court with three counts of Distribution of Marijuana and two counts of Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. MARTIN, who is the elected Sheriff of Gallatin County, Illinois, was arrested without incident at his office on May 18, 2009.

MARTIN was transported to the United States Courthouse in Benton, Illinois, where he made his first appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge Monday afternoon. A preliminary and detention hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 at 1:15 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Benton.

If convicted, each of the marijuana counts carries a possible maximum sentence of five

(5) years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least two years following any term of incarceration. The first firearm count carries a minimum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to any sentence on the drug counts, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years supervised release. The second firearm count carries a minimum penalty of twenty-five (25) years imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to the sentences imposed on all other counts, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years supervised release. Both firearm counts have a maximum possible penalty of life.