The United States Attorney's Office

Southern District of Illinois

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

For Immediate Release

March 6, 2009

ST. LOUIS MAN CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE AND POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE AND CRACK COCAINE

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 6, 2009, a federal jury in East St. Louis, Illinois, convicted GARY STEVENSON, age 34, of St. Louis, Missouri, on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack” cocaine and cocaine. The jury returned special verdicts indicating that the amount of cocaine involved was over 5 kilograms and the amount of “crack” cocaine was over 50 grams. STEVENSON faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release and a fine of up to $8 million.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 5, 2009, before Judge William D. Stiehl.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel T. Kapsak and Ranley R. Killian.