Rock Island, IL – The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, Rodger A. Heaton, announced that Kash Deshawn Lee, 26, of Rock Island, Illinois, was sentenced today to a term of life in prison. Lee pled guilty on October 29, 2007, to engaging in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in Rock Island from 1998 until May 2, 2007.

Lee has three prior felony drug convictions for possession of a controlled substance in Rock Island County, Illinois, which resulted in his statutory life sentence.

Lee engaged in a nine year-long conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine. Lee was indicted in May 2007 in an eight-defendant case based on an investigation of crack cocaine distribution in the Quad Cities area, including an alleged “crack house” at 705 9th Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois. The defendants were arrested on May 3, 2007.

Those charged by indictment include: Vernon Lashawn Lee, age 31, also known as “Mac-10;” Fredrick Dwann Lee, 35; Angela Marie Lee, 43; Hector Villareal, 45, and Jeffie Jearline Lee, 68, also known as “Big Mama;” all of Rock Island, Illinois; and Kendrick Eugene Lee, age 31, and Shonda Rene Carter, 30, both of Davenport, Iowa. The eight defendants include six family relatives and two associates or friends of the family members.

The charges are the result of an a multi-jurisdictional task force investigation by the Quad Cities Federal Gang Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rock Island Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Darrow.