Centralia Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Drug and Gun Charges

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal judge in southern Illinois sentenced a man from Centralia to 30 years’ imprisonment for selling drugs, unlawfully possessing a firearm and tampering with a witness.

In February 2024, a jury convicted De’Andre Owens, 37, on one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant. In February 2022, Owens pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

“Felons who continue to sell drugs, possess firearms illegally and attempt to pay off witnesses to further conceal their crimes are a true threat to public safety, and I commend the law enforcement officers who worked this investigation that ultimately placed De’Andre Owens behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, a jury found Owens guilty of selling 18 grams of meth in March 2022. The jury also found Owens guilty of trying to pay off an individual to prevent their testimony in his case.

“This substantial sentence underscores De’Andre Owens’ criminal history as a career offender,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jermaine Deans. “The successful outcome of the investigation is a testament to the collaborative efforts and teamwork of multiple law enforcement agencies working shoulder-to shoulder with the FBI to make safer communities.”

Owens was prohibited from possessing a firearm as an individual with a prior felony drug conviction from 2016. In December 2019, police conducted a search warrant on Owens’s vehicle and found a 9mm pistol.

Following imprisonment, Owens will serve eight years of supervised release.

The FBI Springfield Field Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, the Centralia Police Department and the Carlyle Police Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Hudson and David Dean prosecuted the case.