Urbana, Ill. – This afternoon, a federal jury convicted Jeffery Dickerson, of Kankakee, Ill. The jury deliberated nearly two hours before finding Dickerson guilty of possession of crack cocaine, possession of a firearm, including a machine gun, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

Jurors began hearing evidence in the trial on Monday, June 6, 2011. Evidence presented by the government showed that in September 2010, Dickerson possessed more than 125 grams of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it and six firearms, including three machine guns, at two apartments and a rented storage shed. At the time of the offense, Dickerson had prior felony convictions in Illinois and Oklahoma.

Dickerson has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in November 2010, when a grand jury returned the three-count indictment.

Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey scheduled sentencing on Sept. 23, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. in Urbana. Dickerson faces a minimum 10 years in prison to life for the drug offense and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a minimum sentence of 30 years to life to be served consecutive to any other prison sentence ordered. The penalty for possession of a firearm by a felon is up to 10 years in prison.

The indictment resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kankakee Area PSN Task force, and the Kankakee Area Major Crimes Task Force as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller.