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

April 1, 2009

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

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 1, 2009, a federal jury in East St. Louis, Illinois, convicted KENNETH LAMONT TALTON, age 29, of St. Louis, Missouri, on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The jury returned a special verdict indicating that the amount of cocaine involved was over 5 kilograms. TALTON faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $4 million, and at least 5 years supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for July 1, 2009.

The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the main agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel T. Kapsak and Andrew Simonson.