News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 22, 2010
Contact: Robert J. Hanson
Number: (314) 538-4670

Two Centralia Men Sentenced For Crack Cocaine Offenses

JUN 22 -- (Benton, IL) - A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that WALTER G. SANDERS, JR., age 30, and ERIC S. MOORE, II , age 22, both from Centralia, Illinois, were sentenced in United States District Court in Benton.

SANDERS was sentenced to 300 months imprisonment, a $1,000 fine, and 10 years of supervised release.

MOORE was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, a $600 fine, and 5 years of supervised release.

SANDERS and MOORE had previously pled guilty to multiple counts in a federal indictment. Both defendants pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine. The amount of crack cocaine involved in the conspiracy was more than fifty (50) grams. In addition, SANDERS had pled guilty to three counts and MOORE had pled guilty to two counts of distribution of crack cocaine.

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. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a joint and cooperative effort of the United States Attorney’s Office, and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies directed at removing guns and drugs from our communities.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.