Woman sentenced to 13 years for drug charges

On August 27, a U.S. district court judge sentenced a 33-year-old Illinois woman to 13 years in federal prison for possession and distribution of methamphetamine. The defendant, a Harrisburg resident, was additionally assessed a $400 fine and sentenced to eight years of supervised release.

According to federal prosecutors, the defendant and her co-defendant manufactured and delivered methamphetamine in Jackson, Saline and Williamson Counties from January 2015 until April 2017. The court found that she was responsible for distributing more than a kilogram of crystal meth and possessing over 200 grams of pseudoephedrine, which is a decongestant commonly used to manufacture meth. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine.

Her co-defendant, a 47-year-old Elkville man, pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier in August. The court found him responsible for distributing over a kilogram of crystal meth and possessing nearly 187 grams of pseudoephedrine. He was sentenced to a federal prison for 16 years and seven months. The man also was assessed a $400 fine and sentenced to serve eight years of supervised release after serving his prison time.