Centralia Man Sentenced To 14 Years For Trafficking Heroin And Meth, Gun Possession

David Herron, 49, of Centralia, Illinois, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for 
trafficking heroin and methamphetamine and a concurrent 10-year prison term for unlawful gun 
possession. Herron entered a guilty plea last September to a three-count indictment charging him 
with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute 
methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charged conspiracy 
took place from March 12, 2018, to April 24, 2019, in Centralia.

In handing down the sentence, Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel observed 
that a majority of the court’s criminal docket now comes from Centralia.

The case arose after an FBI task force investigated Herron’s narcotics trafficking activities for 
several months in early 2019. During that time, Herron was on bond for two separate drug- related 
cases in Marion County. Herron sold methamphetamine and heroin from a Centralia residence on North 
Elm and from a mobile home on North Sycamore. On April 24, 2019, task force members arrested Herron 
as he left his home on Hardin Street and found him in possession of methamphetamine and heroin 
packaged for sale. A search of his home revealed over 200 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine and a 
loaded gun. Herron has a prior felony conviction that prohibits him from knowingly possessing a 
firearm or ammunition.

Herron has been in custody since his arrest. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve a 
five-year term of supervised release and pay a $600 fine. Several of Herron’s alleged co- 
conspirators were charged in a separate case. Danny Lee DeShane, 45, was sentenced in June to 54 
months imprisonment. Earlier this month, Curtis Phelps, 38, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment 
for his role in the conspiracy. A third man, Cloyd “Rick” Culver, 69, has pleaded not guilty but is 
scheduled for a change of plea hearing tomorrow.

The FBI’s task force continues its investigation into drug trafficking and related activities in 
the Marion-Clinton-Washington County areas. Law enforcement agencies participating in the task 
force include the Centralia Police Department, the Carlyle Police Department, and the Marion,
Clinton, and Washington County Sheriffs’ Offices.