BENTON, ILL. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
BENTON, Ill. – Five drug dealers active in Fayette, Jefferson and Marion counties were sentenced to federal prison for distributing cocaine, meth or fentanyl in southern Illinois.
Jason Barnes, 53, of Odin, Illinois, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of meth and one count of possession with intent to distribute meth. He was sentenced to 210 months for selling meth on multiple occasions in 2019 and 2020.
Marvelous Burnett, 46, of Mount Vernon, Illinois, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of distribution of a controlled substance: cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance: cocaine. He was sentenced to 162 months for selling cocaine through the Centralia, Vandalia and Mount Vernon area in 2023 and 2024.
Kenneth Thornton, 61, of Centralia, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced to 78 months for selling more than a gram of fentanyl in December 2023.
David Barnes, 37, of Centralia, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance: cocaine. He was sentenced to 72 months for distributing a half ounce of cocaine during a controlled buy in February 2023.
Karie Holstlaw, 40, of Salem, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance: meth, and she was sentenced to 57 months for selling eight grams during a controlled buy in November 2022.
“These sentences send a clear message: drug trafficking in southern Illinois will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, five fewer drug dealers are fueling addiction and violence in the Centralia area. Drug dealing is a cancer that causes all sorts of societal harm, and we will continue to use all our federal powers to protect communities."
“These sentencings further prove that the FBI Springfield's Southern Illinois TOC-West Task Force will not tolerate the continued flow of drugs in southern Illinois,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. S. Johnson. “Together with our local partners, we remain relentless in our mission to identify and arrest those who bring these substances into our community.”
The FBI Springfield Field Office’s Southern Illinois TOC-West Task Force and the Centralia Police Department contributed to the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Reppert, Dan Kapsak and Dan Carraway represented the U.S. for the prosecutions.
