NEWS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
A. COURTNEY COX
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

Nine Executive Drive, Fairview Heights, Illinois 62208, Telephone (618) 628-3700

EAST ALTON MAN SENTENCED ON DRUG CHARGES

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced today that on October 8, 2008, LOWELL THOMAS LAKIN, age 68, formerly of East Alton, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in East St. Louis. LAKIN previously pled guilty to Maintaining a Place for the Use and Distribution of Cocaine; Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine; and Distribution of Cocaine to a Person Under Age 21.

LAKIN was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment and ordered to be placed on supervised release for a period of six years following his release. LAKIN was fined $148,800.00, (constituting a $20,000.00 fine plus the addition of an estimated $128,800 incarceration and supervision costs) was ordered to forfeit $325,000.00 (the value of the East Alton residence that was used as a drug house), and ordered to pay $300.00 in special assessments.

LAKIN was also ordered to pay special restitution in the amount of $180,000, which was ordered to be distributed to the Madison County Children’s Advocacy Center in the amount of $40,000.00, the St. Clair County Children’s Advocacy Center in the amount of $40,000.00; the Don Bosco Children’s Center in the amount of $40,000.00; the Children’s Home and Aid Society in Granite City in the amount of $40,000.00; and to the Belleville Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the amount of $20,000.00.

The Investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Clark and Kevin Burke.