East St. Louis Man Sentenced On Crack Cocaine Charges

Kevin M. Cavitt, 45, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was recently sentenced in United States District Court in East St. Louis, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The Court sentenced Cavitt to 84 months in prison, followed by six years of supervised release. The Court also imposed a fine of $300 and a special assessment of $100. Cavitt had previously entered a plea of guilty to a single count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine. The offense took place in the John DeShields Federal Housing Facility in East St. Louis, Illinois.

“It is always a good thing to stop a drug dealer, but to stop one in public housing is even better.” noted United States Attorney Wigginton.

Information revealed in Court shows that on July 11, 2012, officers of the U.S. Marshal Task Force observed what was believed to be a drug sale between Cavitt and the driver of a vehicle next to the John DeShields housing complex. Upon being asked to stop, Cavitt fled officers and was seen throwing three plastic baggies found to contain “crack cocaine” and a digital scale. Several hundred dollars in cash was found on his person. This money was forfeited as drug proceeds.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshal Service Task Force, which includes members of the East St. Louis Police Department, and occurred on a detail called “Ban and Bar” sweeps. This program is coordinated by the United States Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force, and the East St. Louis Housing Authority. The program is designed to reduce crime in the Federal Housing Developments by patrolling federal properties and by arresting individuals that commit crimes on or near federal housing developments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deirdre A. Durborow.