Champaign man sentenced 8 years for oxycodone possession

URBANA — A Champaign man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for possessing a large cache of oxycodone shipped in the mail.

Musonda F. Chansa, 25, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to unlawful possession of 200 grams or more of a controlled substance before Champaign County Judge Matt Lee, who accepted the sentence recommended by the state and Chansa’s defense attorney Scott Lerner.

In exchange for the negotiated plea, the state dismissed one count of controlled substance trafficking and one count of manufacture and delivery of more than 100 grams of oxycodone, both Class X felonies.

The state also dismissed one count of manufacture and delivery of at least 30 grams of cannabis, a Class 3 felony.

United States postal inspectors identified a package on March 16, 2023, that was shipped from Arizona to Chansa’s residence and contained suspected narcotics, Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Larson said.

The Champaign County Street Crimes Task Force then investigated the package, which reportedly contained 973 oxycodone tablets hidden inside a stuffed animal, and found Chansa in possession of more than 200 grams of the drug.

Chansa faced four to 15 years in prison for possession of more than 200 grams of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. He had credit for 30 days in jail and was referred to the impact incarceration intervention program.