Southern Illinois man gets ‘substantial sentence’ on drug, weapons conviction

A Centralia man was sentenced for crimes relating to distribution of meth , possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with a witness.

De’Andre Owens, 37, sold 18 grams of meth to an undercover agent during the sting operation, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois. An agent also taped Owens with a video recording device, according to court documents.

Due to a prior felony conviction in 2016, Owens was not allowed to own a firearm, but in December 2019, his car was searched by police, who found a pistol, according to a press release from the court.

Owens also attempted to pay a person off so they wouldn’t testify against him, the court records state.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked with multiple police and sheriff departments in the area on the case. Owens was caught during a sting operation in March of 2022.

“This substantial sentence underscores De’Andre Owens’ criminal history as a career offender,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Jermaine Deans said.

According to court records, Owens has has five felony charges in the past decade. He pleaded guilty to two of them — a theft and possession charge.

After Owens’ imprisonment, he is subject to eight years of supervised release, according to the press release.