The United States Attorney's Office

EAST ST. LOUIS MAN SENTENCED TO 160 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF CRACK COCAINE WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on October 9, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, East St. Louis, Illinois, LOUIS LAWSON, age 32, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced following his previously entered guilty plea to an Indictment charging Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine Base (in the form commonly known as “crack”), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).

LAWSON was sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment, 10 years’ supervised release to follow imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. No fine was ordered because the Court found that any prison earnings should be applied toward the support of LAWSON’S eleven children.

Court documents established that on February 3, 2006, a search warrant was executed at the residence in which LAWSON resided with his mother and brothers, and LAWSON was found to be in possession of 62.4 grams of cocaine base in the form commonly known as “crack”. Court documents further establish that LAWSON had been involved in the sale of crack cocaine for the previous year and a half.

Information for the Indictment was obtained in an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois and the Illinois State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.