FEB 23 -- (EAST ST. LOUIS, IL) - A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that on February 20, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, East St. Louis, Illinois, Thomas E. WILKERSON, age 47, of Shobonier, Illinois, and David M. MURRAY, age 55, Donald R. SCHULTZ, age 53, Billy D. YORK, age 49, and Wesley Dean CONNER, age 44, all of Vandalia, Illinois, were sentenced following previously entered guilty pleas to a Superseding Indictment charging each of them with Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine. WILKERSON was additionally sentenced on Count 2 of the Superseding Indictment which charged him with Possession of Products with the Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine, that offense occurring on November 5, 2006, in Fayette County, Illinois.

WILKERSON was sentenced to 254 months’ imprisonment and 10 years’ supervised release on the conspiracy count, and 240 months’ imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release on Count 2, the sentences to run concurrently. MURRAY was sentenced to 124 months’ imprisonment, 5 years’ supervised release, and a $750 fine. SCHULTZ was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment, 5 years’ supervised release, and a $750 fine. YORK was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, 5 years’ supervised release, and a $750 fine. CONNER was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, 4 years’ supervised release, and a $375 fine. Each defendant was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment for each felony count. Differences in penalties are largely the result of the amount of methamphetamine attributable to a particular defendant and his criminal history. Five others have previously been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.

According to the Superseding Indictment and to other court documents, the conspiracy operated in and around Fayette, Clinton, and Madison Counties, and elsewhere in the Southern District of Illinois, from approximately May 2004 through November 2006.

This investigation into methamphetamine manufacturing activity was primarily conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, and was conducted in cooperation with Fayette County State’s Attorney Stephen Friedel. The investigation was conducted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods DRAGUN Team Initiative, a cooperative effort of local, state and federal law enforcement, and state and federal prosecuting authorities, aimed at ridding communities of illegal drugs and guns.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey