EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.
A Centralia man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for selling drugs, unlawfully possessing a firearm, and tampering with a witness, officials said in a statement.
De’Andre Owens, 37, was convicted by a federal jury in February 2024 on one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant. In February 2022, Owens pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Owens was found guilty of selling 18 grams of meth in March 2022. The jury also found Owens guilty of trying to pay off an individual to prevent their testimony in his case.
Owens was prohibited from possessing a firearm as an individual with a prior felony drug conviction from 2016. In December 2019, police conducted a search warrant on Owens’s vehicle and found a 9mm pistol.
“Felons who continue to sell drugs, possess firearms illegally and attempt to pay off witnesses to further conceal their crimes are a true threat to public safety, and I commend the law enforcement officers who worked this investigation that ultimately placed De’Andre Owens behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
Following imprisonment, Owens will serve eight years of supervised release.
The FBI Springfield Field Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, the Centralia Police Department, and the Carlyle Police Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Hudson and David Dean prosecuted the case.
The sentencing occurred in February 2024. Owens was found guilty of selling 18 grams of meth and tampering with a witness. He will serve 30 years in prison and eight years of supervised release.
Defendant: De’Andre Owens
Criminal Charges: Distribution of methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with a witness, victim or informant
City and State: East St. Louis, Illinois
Crime Date: March 2022
Sentence: 30 years in prison and eight years of supervised release
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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