Belleville Man Sentenced For Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy And Possession Of A Firearm In Furtherance Of Cocaine Trafficking

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 3, 2015, Dewayne Hill, 40, of Belleville, Illinois, was sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine (Count 1), Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 2), and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Previously Convicted Felon (Count 6), following his guilty plea to the charges on October 3, 2014. Hill was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Counts 1 and 6, to run concurrently, and 5 years in prison on Count 2, to run consecutively to the sentence on Count 1, for a total sentence of 15 years. Hill was also ordered to serve 5 years’ supervised release following imprisonment and to pay a $600 fine and a $300 assessment. Hill has been in custody since his arrest on May 7, 2014.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) beginning in April 2013. An ATF special agent posed as a cocaine distributor for a Los Angeles based cocaine trafficking organization which was considering using the Metro East St. Louis area as a hub for distribution. The undercover agent was first introduced to Martez Moore and later to Antwone Johnson, Dewayne Hill, Brian Matthews, Bryant Sawyer, Jaren Jamison, and former East St. Louis police detective Orlando Ward. The undercover agent’s meetings with

Moore culminated in Moore asking the undercover agent to broker the supply of 10 kilograms of cocaine from the Los Angeles organization. In return, Moore agreed to provide armed security for the anticipated delivery of the 10 kilograms of cocaine and distributors for the cocaine. Moore recruited Johnson as a distributor, and Matthews, Sawyer and Jamison as armed security. Moore also recruited Dewayne Hill, his "right hand man," to protect him when he met with and accepted delivery of the cocaine. Hill was in possession of a fully loaded 9mm pistol and an extra clip for the firearm.

All conspirators pleaded guilty. Only Moore remains to be sentenced.

The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.