James T. Keel, Drug Trafficking, Illinois 2017

East St. Louis Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years for Selling Drugs

East St. Louis, Ill. — In a harsh blow to a repeat offender, James T. Keel, 31, has been sentenced to 210 months in prison for selling cocaine from a house in East St. Louis. The sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Staci M. Yandle, will run consecutively to the 27.5-month sentence Keel received in February for violating the terms of his supervised release.

Keel’s latest run-in with the law began in 2017, when undercover agents working with the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois (MEGSI) and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office purchased crack cocaine from Keel on four occasions. The agents then served a search warrant on the residence and recovered 95 grams of powder cocaine, 64 grams of crack cocaine, 7 firearms, and over $17,000 in cash.

During the search, it was determined that Keel had been selling drugs out of the house for over 9 months before he was caught. In handing down the sentence, Judge Yandle emphasized the need to protect the public from Keel and deter others who are part of the ongoing drug epidemic plaguing our society.

Keel testified at his sentencing hearing that he hadn’t sold as much cocaine as the agents claimed, but Judge Yandle found his testimony “disingenuous” as it contradicted what he told investigators during a videotaped interview. Judge Yandle further pointed to the number of guns Keel illegally kept in the house where he was selling cocaine, as well as the length of time he had been selling drugs.

Keel pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2018. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve an additional 10 years of supervised release when his prison term ends. This case was investigated by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, MEGSI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell prosecuted the case.

Keel’s conviction stems from his original prosecution in 2012, when he was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute 30 grams of crack cocaine. He was convicted and sentenced to 70 months in June 2012 and began serving a term of supervised release in May 2016.

With his latest sentence, Keel will now face nearly two decades behind bars for his crimes. The harsh punishment is a reminder that the consequences of reoffending in the federal system can be severe.

The case is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to combat the illicit drug trade and the importance of holding accountable those who seek to profit from it.

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