On January 18, 2017, Kyle E. Easterly, 30, of Murphysboro, was sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine offenses, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Easterly, who had previously pled guilty to a second superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, was sentenced to 235 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and was fined $700.00. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Easterly was involved with numerous other persons in the manufacture of methamphetamine and the distribution of ice in Jackson and Perry Counties. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%. At sentencing, the district court found that Easterly was responsible for the possession of 48 grams of pseudoephedrine and the distribution of 1,134 grams of ice. Because Easterly had twice been convicted of felony domestic battery offenses, he was classified and sentenced as a Career Offender. Co-defendant Charles W. Yearian was previously sentenced to 144 months of imprisonment for his involvement in the drug offenses. Four co-defendants have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing in this case. One co-defendant has pled not guilty and is awaiting a February 27, 2017, jury trial.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Murphysboro Police Department. The Union County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, DuQuoin Police Department, and Jackson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
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