Williamson County Man Charged With Methamphetamine Offenses

Otis R. Elion, 48, of Marion was indicted on November 8, 2016, in a three-count indictment charging distribution of methamphetamine, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.

The indictment alleges the offenses occurred on October 17-18, 2016, in Williamson County. Elion made his initial appearance in federal court on November 15, 2016. He was ordered held without bond, pending a January 23, 2017, jury trial.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The methamphetamine offenses carry a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Marion Police Department Emergency Response Team, Illinois State Police, and Williamson County States Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.