News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2009
Contact: Thomas E. Murphy
Number: (314)538-4660

Nine People Charged In Crack Cocaine and Heroin Distribution Ring In Centralia and Mt. Vernon, Illinois

OCT 13 -- (Benton, IL) - A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on October 6, 2009, David N. BARNES, age 22, Kass A. BARNES, age 26, Dorian D. REEVES, age 22, Walter G. SANDERS, Jr., age 29, Valencia K. MATTHEWS, age 26, Marzeal M. MARSHALL, age 32, Frankie J. MAINES, age 20, Jason M. WALLACE, age 31, and Eric S. MOORE, II, age 21, all of Centralia, Illinois, were charged in a multi-count federal indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Benton, Illinois.

Count 1 charges that from about August 2008, to September 30, 2009, in Jefferson County, Marion County, and elsewhere, David N. BARNES, Kass A. BARNES, Walter G. SANDERS, Jr., Valencia K. MATTHEWS, Marzeal M. MARSHALL, Frankie J. MAINES, Jason M. WALLACE, and Eric S. MOORE, conspired and agreed with each other and with other persons to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine. The amount of crack cocaine involved in the conspiracy is more than fifty (50) grams.

Count 2 charges that from August 2009, to September 30, 2009, in Jefferson County, Marion County, within the Southern District of Illinois, and elsewhere, David N. BARNES and
Dorian D. REEVES, conspired and agreed with each other and with other persons to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin.

Count 3 charges that on July 31, 2007, David N. BARNES possessed with the intent to
distribute more than fifty (50) grams of crack cocaine.

Counts 4 and 5 charge David N. BARNES with distribution of crack cocaine on March 19, 2009, and March 31, 2009.

Counts 6, 7, and 8 charge Walter SANDERS, Jr., with distribution of crack cocaine on March 30, 2009, April 16, 2009, and June 23, 2009.

Counts 11 and 12 charge Kass A. BARNES with distribution of crack cocaine on March 26, 2009, and May 19, 2009.

Counts 13, 14, and 15 charge Dorian D. REEVES with distribution of heroin on August 29, 2009, September 1, 2009, and September 16, 2009.

Counts 19, 20, and 21 charge Valencia K. MATTHEWS with distribution of crack cocaine on April 8, 2009, and April 14, 2009 (twice).

Counts 22, 23, 24, and 25 charge Marzeal M. MARSHALL with distribution of crack cocaine on July 15, 2009 (twice) and July 30, 2009 (twice).

Counts 26, 27, and 28 charge Frankie J. MAINES with distribution of crack cocaine on April 20, 2009, May 26, 2009, and September 4, 2009.

Counts 30 and 31 charge Jason M. WALLACE with distribution of crack cocaine on May 21, 2009, and May 26, 2009.

Counts 32 and 33 charge Eric S. MOORE, II with distribution of crack cocaine on April 14, 2009, and April 16, 2009.

With respect to Count 1, the defendants face a penalty of from 10 years to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $4,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years. With respect to Count 2, the defendants face a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years. With respect to Count 3, David N. BARNES faces a penalty of from 10 years to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $4,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years. With respect to Counts 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 26, 32, 33, the respective defendant faces a penalty of 5-40 years imprisonment, up to $2,000,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years. With respect to all other Counts, the respective defendant faces a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years.

The investigation was conducted by the Centralia Police Department, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, the Joint Narcotics Unit of the Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Illinois State Police, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County State’s Attorney’s Office, the United States Secret Service, the United States Marshal Service, and other law enforcement agencies pursuant to their participation in the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.