Springfield, Ill. – The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, Jeffrey B. Lang, announced that a federal jury this afternoon returned guilty verdicts against a Jacksonville man for distributing crack cocaine. The jury deliberated approximately one hour before finding Prince Stevenson, 45, guilty of three counts of distributing crack cocaine.

At trial, which began yesterday, the government presented evidence that Stevenson sold crack cocaine on three separate occasions in September 2008 in a public parking lot in Jacksonville.

U.S. District Judge Jeanne E. Scott scheduled sentencing for Oct. 14, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Richard Mills. At sentencing, the maximum statutory penalty for each count of distribution of crack cocaine is 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000.

Stevenson has been in the custody of the law enforcement since his arrest on Aug. 12, 2009.

The charges were investigated by the Central Illinois Enforcement Group; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department; the Jacksonville Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Bohm and Gregory M. Gilmore are prosecuting the case.