Published on July 25, 2025 4:11 pm
Last Updated on July 25, 2025 4:11 pm
Five drug dealers active in Fayette, Marion and Jefferson counties were sentenced to Federal prison for distributing cocaine, meth or fentanyl.
53-year-old Jason Barnes of Odin was sentenced to 210 months for selling meth on multiple occasions in 2019 and 2020.
46-year-old Marvelous Burnett of Mt. Vernon pleaded to 16 counts of distribution of distribution of a controlled substance, that being cocaine, and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. Bennett was sentenced to 162 months for selling cocaine through the Vandalia, Centralia and Mt. Vernon areas in 2023 and 2024.
61-year-old Kenneth Thornton of Centralia pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced to 78 months for selling more than a gram of fentanyl in December 2023.
37-year-old David Barnes of Centralia pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance, that being cocaine. He was sentenced to 72 months for distributing a half-ounce of cocaine during a controlled buy in November 2022.
40-year-old Karie Holtslaw of Salem pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance, that being meth. Holtslaw was sentenced to 57 months for selling eight grams during a controlled buy in November 2022.
“These sentences send a clear message: drug trafficking in southern Illinois will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, five fewer drug dealers are fueling addiction and violence in the Centralia area. Drug dealing is a cancer that causes all sorts of societal harm, and we will continue to use all our federal powers to protect communities.”
