EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A St. Clair County, Illinois, man is going to federal prison for more than 16 years for his involvement in a local meth dealing ring.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois said Michael O’Leary, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of methamphetamine distribution, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe said O’Leary was “responsible for distributing large amounts of methamphetamine throughout the Metro East.”

According to court documents, an undercover DEA agent purchased 55 grams of meth from O’Leary in December 2020. The following January, the DEA obtained a warrant to search O’Leary’s home in Lebanon.

Authorities recovered 467 grams of methamphetamine, and also learned he owned several firearms. A 2015 conviction for meth distribution prohibits him from legally owning firearms.

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced O’Leary to 200 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.